MORE THAN 250 PEOPLE WERE SENT INTO QUARANTINE in Norway’s inland city of Gjøvik on Thursday, after 16 residents tested positive to the Corona virus. The new outbreak has occurred among municipal employees, and they were asked to work from home. A local health care center was closed and officials were scrambling to track sources […]
‘Think Norwegian’ this Corona winter
October 20, 2020
Mornings have become dark, the days are noticeably much shorter and snow started falling even in Southern Norway on Tuesday. Winter is coming, and amid all the usual reports of accidents tied to the first snow comes some news: Norwegians’ centuries-long traditions for dealing with the dark and cold time of the year may make […]
Won public’s trust before free vaccine
October 13, 2020
Health Minister Bent Høie and his colleagues from the state health directorate and public health institute have all seen their public reputations soar, according to an annual survey released Tuesday. That occurred even before Høie announced Tuesday afternoon that vaccinations against Covid-19 will be free for all Norwegians, when a vaccine is finally available. The […]
Corona measures face more skeptics
October 5, 2020
Public skepticism to Corona containment measures suddenly seems to be rising in Norway, especially now in Oslo, and officials at both the state and local levels are worried. The skepticism and resistance come after many months of cooperation and the spirit of what’s known as dugnad, in which everyone contributes to the common good. Newspaper […]
Government eases some restrictions
September 30, 2020
The Norwegian government has eased some Corona containment measures on a national basis, on the condition that local restrictions will be put in place in the event of virus outbreaks. It means that areas with low infection rates will have more freedom to allow, for example, up to 600 spectators at outdoor sporting events. Prime […]
Police extend Hurtigruten probe
September 29, 2020
Police in Tromsø say they’ll need another few weeks to conclude their criminal investigation into how management of the shipping and cruise line Hurtigruten handled a Corona virus outbreak on board a cruise to Svalbard in July. Crew members have later claimed the company put their lives in danger, and fully 71 of the ship’s […]
More Corona aid for a ‘fragile’ economy
September 23, 2020
NEWS ANALYSIS: Government ministers handed out more packages of Corona crisis aid this week, in an effort to avoid bankruptcies and preserve jobs. The need for all the emergency funding and financial support shows just how fragile the Norwegian economy has become. Rising Corona infection rates lately have put a new chill on Norway’s traditionally […]
Corona cuts back Peace Prize party
September 22, 2020
Whoever wins this year’s Nobel Peace Prize won’t be hailed inside a packed Oslo City Hall, or at a traditional banquet afterwards with royalty present. The Corona pandemic has forced major changes in how the Peace Prize will be awarded, and in some ways the ceremony now planned is going back to its more modest […]
Bus strike sparks commuter chaos
September 21, 2020
UPDATED: Commuters, students and everyone else who regularly travel by bus in and around Oslo need to find other means of transport, or just stay home. A strike by nearly 4,000 frustrated bus drivers has set off commuter chaos and more Corona infection alarms, and the strike was set to spread quickly nationwide. “Don’t travel […]
Hurtigruten boss survives disgrace
September 17, 2020
Quarantine rules weren’t followed, suspected cases of the Corona virus weren’t followed up and crew members felt their lives were in danger but were afraid to speak out. The board of Norway’s publicly disgraced Hurtigruten cruise and shipping line nonetheless claims it still has confidence in CEO Daniel Skjeldam, and that both he and the […]
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