Prime Minister Erna Solberg had the dubious honour of announcing the first death in Norway linked to the Corona virus Thursday evening. After a long day, she was appearing live on state broadcaster NRK’s nightly nationwide newscast when the death was confirmed.
“We have just been told that the first death has occurred,” Solberg said on NRK’s newscast Dagsrevyen. “An elderly person who had been sick has now died.” Newspaper VG reported Thursday night that a total of 792 people in Norway were registered as testing positive for the Corona virus, up from 621 Thursday morning.
The death occurred at Norway’s largest university hospital, Ullevål, in Oslo. “On Thursday March 12, an elderly patient with the Covid-19 illness (Corona virus) died after being admitted to OUS (Oslo University Hospital),” read a statement from the hospital. No further details were revealed.
“This is why we’re taking such drastic measures,” Solberg said, referring to a long list of new rules and regulations announced by state health authorities Thursday afternoon that are aimed at halting the spread of the Corona virus.
“There are many of us who have the virus, who are vulnerable and who can’t tolerate a tough illness,” Solberg said on NRK, “and which we in solidarity can try to limit as much as possible.”
Dr Camilla Stoltenberg, head of the state public health institute, said more deaths are expected. “It’s first and foremost sad, and a reminder of how serious this epidemic can be,” Stoltenberg told NRK. “At the same time it’s expected that we’ll have more deaths in the days and weeks to come.”
newsinenglish.no staff
