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TODAY IN NORWAY

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

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

Pictured our mountains in Norway.
Read about budget negotiations and more in today's roundup. Pictured are mountains in Lyngen. Photo by Kevin Bessat on Unsplash

Government and Socialist Left Party still far apart in budget negotiations 

The government and Socialist Left Party remain some way off of agreeing on a state budget for next year. 

“We have put a total of four proposals on the table and have experienced that there is still a wide range of input and feedback from the other side, and we are no closer to solving it at our level,” Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, from the Centre Party, told public broadcaster NRK.

According to the government, 3 billion kroner has already been shifted around next years fiscal plan during the talks. 

READ ALSO: The changes to Norway’s 2022 budget that could impact you

With a lack of progress between the parties fiscal committee, Socialist Left Party leader Audun Lysbakken has agreed to meet with the parliamentary leaders of the Centre Party and Labour. 

The current government has a minority in parliament and the Socialist Left Party have long been earmarked as potential budgetary partners.  

Population in Norway is growing in all parts of the country except the north

Over the last 12 months, Norway’s population has grown by 30,000, with the population increasing in all counties except the country’s two northernmost areas. 

Since 2001 Norway’s population has grown by almost 900,000. However, the proportion of people living in the north has shrunk from 10.2 percent to 8.9 percent. 

Statistics Norway estimated that at the end of this year’s third quarter, 5,415,166 people lived in the country. 

Outrage over grid rent increases next year

Next year gird companies have been given the opportunity to increase the total rent by 2.1 billion kroner or 12.2 percent, by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE). 

“The increase in grid rent shows how unstable the electricity market is. The power companies being able to increase grid rent is a mockery of households. As if the prices were not unstable and high enough already, NVE gives the companies a free pass to strengthen the unfair market mechanisms,” deputy chair of the energy and climate committee in parliament, Sofie Marhaug, has told online news site Nettavisen

READ ALSO: How to save on your Norwegian electricity bill

Grid rent is the price you pay to transport electricity to your house. 

Industry organisation Energi Norge defended the role of electricity companies and said that electricity was, on average, cheaper now than since the government controlled the electricity supply

1,470 new Covid-19 cases 

On Sunday, 1,470 people tested positive for Covid-19. That is 314 cases more than the same day the week before. Over the last seven days, an average of 2,055 Covid-19 infections have been registered each day. The same average a week prior was 1,667. 

Covid cases tend to be lower on weekends as fewer samples are processed. 

A graph showing the total number of Covid-19 cases in Norway.
The total number of Covid-19 cases in Norway. Source: Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

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For members

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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