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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 Etne in Vestland, west Norway.
Read about the passing of Kim Friele and delays with Norway's domestic Covid-19 certifcate in today's roundup. Pictured is autumn turning to winter in Etne, west Norway. Photo by Magne Roed on Unsplash

LGBT rights activist Kim Friele has died

Norwegian gay rights and human rights activist Kim Friele, who was the leader of the National Association for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender People between 1966 and 1971 and played an influential role in having homosexual acts decriminalised in Norway, passed away on Monday night. 

She was also known for being one of the first publicly visible lesbian people in Norway. She continued her activism by helping to ensure that homosexuality would no longer be classified as a psychiatric condition in 1978. 

“She took the lead at a time when it was criminal to be gay, and has with her personality, her efforts and her dedication tirelessly fought for equality, and changed Norwegian society,” gender equality minister Anette Trettebergstuen said of Friele to newswire NTB. 

Figures for vaccination rates among immigrant groups revealed 

Recent statistics from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health have shown Covid vaccination rates among several immigrant groups. 

The figures, which showed which proportion of certain groups had received at least one dose of a vaccine as of November 15th and have been reported by NRK, point towards several immigrant groups having much lower vaccination rates than the rest of the population. 

Overall 73 percent of those with an immigrant background, meaning they or their parents are from another country, had received one dose. The figure for the general population is much higher at 93 percent. 

Those from Lithuania, Poland and Romania had the lowest proportion of people with at least one dose, while those from Pakistan and Afghanistan had the highest vaccine rates. 

Reintroduction of Covid-19 certificate facing delays 

The domestic Covid-19 certificate could be a couple of weeks away from being properly introduced, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has informed public broadcaster NRK

“In the short term, we are working to provide guidance on how the current solution can be adapted for use by municipalities that want to introduce a corona certificate,” Gun Penny Knudsen, assistant director of the NIPH, told NRK. 

READ MORE: These are the new rules for Norway’s domestic Covid-19 certificate

She added that several things need to be updated and tested in the slightly longer term as the rules for who qualifies for a Covid-19 certificate have changed. 

2,391 new Covid cases

On Monday, 2,391 new Covid-19 cases were registered in Norway. This is 630 more than the same day last week. On Monday, 229 patients were in hospital with Covid-19. This is seven more than the day before. 

READ MORE: How Europe is responding to the new wave of Covid

In Oslo, 627 people have tested positive for the virus within the last 24 hours, 200 more than the same day the previous week.

A graph showing the total number of Covid-19 cases.
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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