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Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday 

Find out what is going on in Norway on Tuesday with The Local's short roundup of important news. 

Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday 
A rainy day in Arendal. Photo by Ehud Neuhaus on Unsplash

Health authorities predict impact of Delta Covid variant being dominant will be small 

The now dominant Delta Covid-19 variant, first identified in India, will have a limited impact on the infection situation in Norway, according to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s (NIPH) chief physician, Preben Aavitsland. 

“We can still keep the Covid-19 epidemic in this country under control,” Aavitsland said in a new report

READ ALSO: European health authorities warn of surge in Delta variant infections

The reason for this, according to the new report from the NIPH, is due to the large number of people who have been vaccinated in Norway. 

The report also outlined that the health institute expected cases to rise in the next two months, but not to the levels seen in previous waves of infection. 

Cases are expected to rise to around two or three thousand a week, compared to the current figure of just over 1,400 infections last week. 

More Norwegians want an electric car 

Over the past four years, the number of Norwegians that want an electric car has risen, and the number of people opposed to electric vehicles has shrunk, according to a new survey. 

The survey from Naf shows that in 2017 31 percent of people were against the idea of owning an electric car. This figure has fallen to 24 percent in 2021. 

The proportion of people who can picture themselves behind the wheel of an electric car shot up, with 43 percent saying they could see themselves buying one, compared to 30 percent in 2017. 

Electric cars account for over half the total of all new vehicles sold in Norway. 

READ MORE: Norway reaches 50 percent electric in 2020 new car sales

Barbed wire still found in many parts of Norway eleven years after being banned

According to wildlife campaigners, despite being prohibited in areas where animals graze since 2010, barbed wire can still be found all over Norway. 

Marvin Kopperstad from the Wildlife Committee in Herøy is one of many saying that it is still commonplace to find animals stuck in barbed wire in areas where barbed wire isn’t allowed.

“We see it quite often. Sometimes we are lucky to see it in time, and sometimes it’s too late,” he told national broadcaster NRK.  

According to the Animal Welfare Act, barbed wire can’t be used to limit the movements of wildlife and that it cant be used in areas in places where animals risk being injured. 

330 new Covid-19 cases

On Monday, 330 new cases of coronavirus cases were registered in Norway. This is a significant increase of 125 compared to the seven day average of 205. 

In Oslo, 35 Covid-19 infections were recorded. 

Infections in Norway may be trending upwards as the weekly average for coronavirus cases has risen in two consecutive weeks. The seven day average for last week was 205 cases, compared to 163 the week before. 

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TODAY IN NORWAY

Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday 

Find out what’s going on in Norway on Tuesday with The Local’s short roundup of important news. 

Pictured is Holmenkollen in Oslo.
Read about the interval between doses two and three being shortened and the death of Kåre Willoch in today's roundup of important news. Pictured is Holmenkollen in Oslo. Photo by Michael Ankes on Unsplash

Tributes paid to Kåre Willoch 

The former prime minister and Conservative Party leader Kåre Willoch passed away yesterday aged 93. King Harold, prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre and former PM Erna Solberg were among those to pay tribute to Willoch. 

“He was a very gracious and nice person who was concerned with people and political issues,” Solberg said. 

The former PM pointed to Willoch’s modernisation reform in Norway as his most significant political legacy. 

“The most important thing he did was the modernisation of Norway,” she said. 

Health minister to decide on new Covid-19 measures

New coronavirus measures are on their way in Norway, with the health minister, Ingvild Kjerkol, set to decide on new restrictions following a rise in infections, outbreaks of the Omicron variant and parts of the health service nearing capacity. 

“There will be measures we will notice in our everyday lives,” Kjerkol said to public broadcaster NRK

“The situation is demanding, and that is the reason why we are now looking at new measures. We have a health service that is in full swing, and our goal is to have control of the pandemic, in the form that the municipalities and hospitals are able to provide proper health care,” Kjerkol explained.

READ ALSO: How could Norway’s Covid-19 restrictions be tightened this week?

The minister didn’t reveal any details on what could be announced but said that decisions would be made on Tuesday. 

Coronavirus booster vaccine interval shortened 

The interval between vaccine doses two and three for those aged between 64 and 45 will be shortened by a month, Norway’s health ministry has announced

The interval will now be five months when it was previously six. All adults with serious underlying conditions and those working in the health and care sectors will also have the interval cut. 

One in three think Covid-19 measures are too relaxed

A third of Norwegians feel that the current Covid measures in place in Norway are insufficient and need tightening, according to a survey conducted by Norstat for public broadcaster NRK.

Ten percent said the measures were too comprehensive, and just under 50 percent said that the current level of action was appropriate. 

4,117 new Covid-19 cases in Norway

On Monday, 4,117 new Covid-19 cases were registered in Norway. That is 1,240 more cases than the same day last week. 

As of yesterday, 295 people were hospitalised with Covid-19. 

A graph showing the number of weekly cases in Norway.
The total number of weekly cases in Norway throughout the pandemic. Source: Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
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