The list of countries toughening measures to fight the spread of Covid-19 is growing. Norway will in turn strengthen its health measures, including a limited number of people for events at home, including Christmas, the government said on Tuesday.
From midnight Thursday and for four weeks, the authorities recommend limiting the number of guests at home to ten, not counting the people of the household. This ceiling will however be raised to 20 and for a single occasion during the Christmas holidays, on condition that a distance of one meter is ensured between each person.
No alcohol after midnight
Wearing a mask will also be compulsory again if a social distance of one meter cannot be ensured. Alcohol should be served at the table in bars and restaurants until midnight maximum.
“The situation is now so serious that we must take new measures to keep the pandemic under control,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store explained. In November, Norway announced new measures to stem the resurgence of the coronavirus on its territory, just weeks after the lifting at the end of September of all the restrictions that were in place. The authorities had notably allowed municipalities to use the health pass.
Fear of overcrowded hospitals
“The risk of overloading health services and the spread of the omicron variant, which is more contagious, now requires new strict measures in our country”, underlined the head of government. Health authorities expect this new variant to become the majority “no later than January” in Norway.
Last week, the appearance of a suspected outbreak of the Omicron variant among dozens of people who were all vaccinated had already led the government to introduce new restrictions to deal with Covid-19 in Oslo and its region. The Scandinavian country of 5.4 million inhabitants has so far reported 29 cases of this new variant on its soil.