Oslo will reopen bars, gyms, restaurants, theaters, and museums from Wednesday next week. “A big step towards the city life we have missed,” the City Council chief says.
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“Today is a significant milestone. We are now ending the social lockdown of Oslo,” City Council chief Raymond Johansen (AP) said at a press conference in Oslo City Hall on Friday afternoon.
There, he announced that a number of measures from step two of the reopening plan in Oslo would be introduced from Wednesday next week.
That means that multiple measures introduced when the social lockdown in Oslo was introduced on November 10 last year will be lifted.
Alcohol serving, restaurants, and culture
The reopening means that alcohol-serving will be allowed until 10 PM, and that restaurants and cafés will once again be able to receive seated guests.
Gyms and swimming pools, theaters, museums, and concert venues may also reopen with restrictions on the number of people allowed in or attending events.
Outdoor events for 50 people with permanent seats or 30 without permanent seats will also be allowed.
“We are taking a big step towards a reopened city and a big step back to the everyday life and the city life that we have missed for so long,” Johansen said.
In addition to the opening of dining, training, and cultural offerings, leisure clubs will also reopen for up to 20 people at a time.
The fact that the reopening does not start immediately is justified by the fact that the City Council wants to give everyone a few days to prepare.
Johansen said that the reopening would help many who have been laid off or became unemployed to get back to work.
Understand concerns
Johansen also said that he understands that some may be worried. Although the number of infected people has fallen sharply recently, the average in the last two weeks is still 78 new registered cases of infection per day.
In addition, there are constantly reports of new outbreaks in municipalities around the country.
“People are going back to work, for example, in the restaurant industry, and may be worried that they will now be around many people.
“Now it is very important that we continue to pay attention, that we continue to keep our distance, and that we respect the rules that apply where we are,” Johansen said.
No guarantees
The City Council leader emphasized that there is no guarantee that stricter measures will not have to be introduced again.
“We have had several periods with low infection rates in Oslo. We have been ready to start the reopening several times. Then the rules of the game have changed,”
“We have seen many times that the situation can turn around very quickly,” he warned.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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