The Norwegian government, buoyed by low Corona infection rates, announced Wednesday that all schools and day care centers around the country can fully reopen Tuesday June 2, right after the upcoming holiday weekend. There’s no longer a need for social distancing among the children, according to government ministers.
Their decision to expand the partial re-openings allowed last month followed the release earlier in the day of the latest report from an expert commission evaluating the effects of Corona virus containment measures. It also recommended fully re-opening schools and day care centers, especially given the negative economic effects of the partial reopenings.
The full reopenings, with classes assembled as usual, will especially be a relief in Oslo, where concerns have risen over how a lack of space at most schools has forced the use of outdoor classes or only half-days of instruction at school in order to meet social distancing requirements.
“In practice this means that with the current (low) infection situation, entire classes can meet once again in the same classroom, and more children will get a full-time offer,” Education Minister Guri Melby said at the government’s daily press conference. Details of new “traffic light systems” for infection levels will be released on Friday.
Health Minister Bent Høie also announced that health care institutions can return to “more normal operations” as well, and that family and friends may be able to visit patients and residents of nursing homes again, as long as medical experts approve.
newsinenglish.no staff
