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COVID-19

More Norwegian cities consider local coronavirus restrictions

Increasing Covid-19 cases in Drammen, Trondheim and Tromsø could result in local restrictions or recommendations in all three Norwegian cities.

Published: 3 November 2020 16:36 CET
More Norwegian cities consider local coronavirus restrictions
An illustration photo of Tromsø. Photo: Christian Storz on Unsplash

A confirmed 35 new cases in Drammen has prompted city authorities in the town, which is around 40 kilometres southwest of Oslo, to call an emergency meeting to discuss interventive measures, NRK reports.

The chief administrative officer (rådmann) in Drammen has proposed introducing restrictions near identical to those currently in place in the capital, according to the report.

READ ALSO: Norway tightens restrictions to prevent virus resurgence as Oslo adds measures

The city’s mayor, Monica Myrvold Berg, has said that restrictions will be implemented but that it is too early to say exactly which form they will take.

Potential restrictions would come into force at 6pm on Wednesday, the broadcaster writes.

“(County leaders and health authorities) recommend that all municipalities around Oslo consider Oslo’s measures. So we are now making that assessment,” senior doctor at Drammen Municipality John David Johannessen said.

Representatives in Trondheim also met today to discuss measures and is expected to make an announcement on Wednesday morning.

A director from the city’s municipality, Morten Wolden, said the measures in the central city would primarily be internal – meaning they will be focused on restrictions at institutions and on travel and assembly, NRK writes.

A considerable concern of the city’s authorities is infections that are being brought in through the city’s airport, despite a high rate of passenger testing with tests provided to arrivals at the airport.

“No other airports have such high numbers (of cases),” Wolden told NRK.

Tromsø, located in the northern Troms og Finnmark county, announced local restrictions earlier on Tuesday, meaning that local responses could be confirmed up and down the country this week.

In a press briefing Tuesday morning, the city’s mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen said that “what we do in the next few weeks will probably have a decisive effect on how Advent and Christmas will be for all of us”.

Infections at schools and the city’s university, UiT represent 44 percent of local infections during the last four weeks, according to NRK.

Measures in Tromsø are as follows:

  • Working from home recommended
  • Face masks required on public transport if a one-metre social distance is not possible
  • All guests at restaurants, bars and cafes to be registered, including those not serving alcohol
  • A limit of ten people permitted in private gatherings in homes

In addition to Oslo, local restrictions are also already in place in Bergen.

READ ALSO: Bergen announces local restrictions after detecting 77 new Covid-19 cases

 

 

 

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Published: 23 December 2022 10:53 CET
Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

READ ALSO: 

People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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