People from these parts of Norway must be particularly careful if they are going home for Christmas

Those who will travel home for Christmas from areas with higher infection rates, such as Oslo, Drammen, and Østfold, must be extra careful and cautious at Christmas, the Minister of Health warns.

Despite the falling infection pressure in Norway in recent weeks, the infection rates are still high, and the infection situation is not the same around the country. 

The government has encouraged people from areas with a lot of infection to be extra careful if they are going home for Christmas.

“For example, those who travel from Oslo or Drammen, or areas in Østfold, must be extra careful and cautious,” Minister of Health Bent Høie (H) told news bureau NTB.

Changing all the time

“We see that there are outbreaks of different size and different scope around various municipalities in Norway, department director Line Vold at the National Institute of Public Health (FHI) said.

According to Vold, this shows how unstable the infection situation is and that it can quickly turn around, both locally and nationally.

“Oslo and Viken have the highest infection rates at the county level, while Rogaland has the lowest rates. However, the situation is constantly changing. 

“We see, for example, that Trøndelag, which had low infection rates last week, has seen an increase due to an outbreak in Trondheim,” Vold said.

Limiting social interaction

Although it urged people to avoid unnecessary travel during the pandemic, the government has said that going home for Christmas can be considered a necessary trip.

According to a new survey from the Norwegian Corona Monitor, every second Norwegian plans to travel out of their own municipality during Christmas.

“If you are going home as a student to a municipality where there has been no particular infection at all, and you have studied in Oslo, for example, then there is reason to be a little extra careful when you get home,” Vold said.

She also says it may be wise to limit social interaction before you leave and when you get home. 

“The most important thing to keep in mind is to keep a good distance from others, and especially to those who are in the risk group,” Høie added.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today