No Covid-19 infections linked to large events 

No coronavirus cases have been linked back to the two biggest events to take place in Oslo since the pandemic began. 

Oslo Pride on June 26th and the Bislett Games on July 1st had a combined attendance of just under 8,000 people, and a valid Covid certificate was required to attend. 

Around 5,000 people attended Oslo Pride, and about 2,800 went to the Bislett Games. 

Oslo municipality confirmed to newspaper VG that no subsequent infections had been traced back to either event. 

The director of health at the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Bjørn Guldvog, said that he expected Covid certificates to be used to attend large events for the foreseeable future.

 “We expect that a green corona pass and testing at events will be used for some time to come until we have gained good immunity in the population. It is difficult to say how long, though,” he told VG.

To enter an event in Norway that requires a valid Covid certificate, you will need to have either received your first vaccination three weeks before the event, been fully vaccinated for at least a week or tested negative for coronavirus within 24 hours of the event starting. 

EXPLAINED: How to access Norway’s Covid-19 certificate 

Post-Brexit free trade agreement signed

Norway and the United Kingdom have officially signed a free trade agreement which was agreed in June. 

It will come into force once the two countries’ internal processes are completed. 

The deal gives Norway greater access to the UK’s seafood market and the UK greater access to sell its agricultural products like meats and cheeses in Norwegian shops. 

“The United Kingdom is our most important trading partner after the EU. It ensures Norwegian companies equal or better competitive conditions when they compete against companies from the EU in the British Market,” Foreign Minister Iselin Nybø told news agency NTB. 

READ MORE: Norway and UK strike post-Brexit trade deal 

Transport Secretary expects scooter curfews at night 

Norway’s minister for transport has said that he expects electric scooter companies to introduce curfews following a sharp rise in accidents.

So far, two of Norway’s market leaders, Ryde and Bolt, have said they will introduce curfews between midnight and 5am in Oslo, with Ryde also committing to the curfew in all of Norway’s four largest cities. 

However, market leader Voi has said it wouldn’t be switching off its rental scooters instead of limiting speeds to 15 kilometres per hour. 

Voi has previously said the government should be responsible for introducing regulations for the scooters rather than the companies. 

READ MORE: Sharp increase in e-scooter accidents in Oslo leads to calls for stricter rules

222 new coronavirus cases in Norway 

On Thursday, 222 new coronavirus cases were registered in Norway, a rise of 42 compared to the seven-day average.

In Oslo, 27 Covid-19 infections were registered, three more than the day before. 

The R-number or reproduction rate in Norway is currently 0.7. This means that every ten people that are infected will, on average, only infect another seven people, indicating that the infection level is declining.