By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Mass testing

Norway’s Institute of Public Health announced this week (computer translated) that it does not recommend testing large groups of healthy people, such as all employees in a company, for COVID-19. Now that there is little spread of coronavirus in Norway, such testing has no purpose.

Not long ago, health officials planned on testing the entire population in two months. Now tests will be reserved for those who have symptoms of COVID-19, healthcare workers, people who work in elderly care homes and those in certain risk groups.

Statistics from week 21 confirm that the decline in the infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Norway continues:

  • 101 new people were reported infected.
  • 40 municipalities reported new infections. This means that 325 municipalities had no new infected in week 21.
  • 0.6 percent of people tested over the past two weeks were infected. This proportion has fallen over several weeks.
  • 5 new hospital admissions, and 1 new intensive care unit last week.
  • 1 death was reported last week.

Through today, Norway has reported 8411 cases and 236 deaths.

Based on results from mathematical models, the reproduction figure in Norway is estimated to be 0.65 (0.39-0.94).

Stoltenberg warns against another lockdown

Norwegian Institute of Public Health chief, Camille Stoltenberg, said in an interview (computer translated) she warns against such a shutdown again – even if the infection rates should increase somewhat.

“Our assessment now….is that we could possibly have achieved the same effects and avoided some of the unfortunate impacts by not locking down, but by instead keeping open but with infection control measures,” she said.

The closure of Norway has had serious economic consequences: high unemployment and a sudden stop for the Norwegian economy.

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