Neither Sarpsborg nor Fredrikstad are closing down for the time being

On Sunday, twelve new Coronavirus infected people were diagnosed in Sarpsborg, while the number for Fredrikstad is five new cases of infection. In total, the number of infections has exceeded 200.

The total number of infections is now up to 66 newly diagnosed in Sarpsborg and 137 in Fredrikstad.

Nearly 1,000 people have been quarantined in Fredrikstad on Saturday night, NTB is informed, while the number for Sarpsborg was 500 people on Saturday. In both places, the Coronavirus bloom is linked to a Muslim celebration in Skjeberg last week.

– “All five cases of infection on Sunday can be traced to this outbreak,” communications manager Eivind A. Fjellstad in Fredrikstad municipality informs NTB.

Do not shut down
In Sarpsborg, municipal chief physician Karianne Jenseg Bergman answers the question of whether closure may be relevant:

-“It is the municipal management that makes such decisions based on professional advice. But so far there has been no need for it. As long as we have control over the transmission routes, we implement targeted measures with the quarantine of close contacts,” says the municipal chief.

In Sarpsborg, an infection detection team of 25 people in addition to the six municipal chief physicians is in the process of tracking down the infected and their close contacts, in close collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health and Fredrikstad municipality.

There are basically three infection detectives and a municipal chief physician on duty every day, and the need for more is being assessed on an ongoing basis.

– “First we call the positive ones, and then to their close contacts. Our impression is that those we call are honest and want to help, and are grateful that we call. They want to help stop the spread of infection,” says municipal chief Jenseg Bergman to NTB.

Not in Fredrikstad either
Fredrikstad mayor Jon-Ivar Nygård tells NTB that closing down the municipality is not relevant as of today.

– “No, as long as we have a full overview of the cases of infection, it is not a relevant measure. We have support for this from the National Institute of Public Health,” says Nygård, but emphasizes that if you see that the infection is released more in society, there will be a new assessment.

The municipality assesses the infection situation and measures it from hour to hour, day by day. On Sunday afternoon, closure is not considered relevant. Instead, they will focus on testing, infection detection, quarantine and isolation.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today