The government said on Thursday that a fifth case of the latter was confirmed and more expected as Norway reintroduces nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of COVID 19 following the emergence of the new Omicron variant.
All travelers arriving in Norway must take a test within 24 hours of arrival, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated.
In areas with high infection rates, such as the capital Oslo, the use of face masks will be mandatory, as will working from home, at least for part of the week, for those who are able to.
The measures were taken after a fifth person tested positive for the Omicron variant on Thursday in the wake of a corporate Christmas party in Oslo last week, but Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said the exact number was likely higher. We have had a big outbreak of the Omicron variant in Oslo since Tuesday. More than 50 people have been infected at an event. All of these were fully vaccinated, according to Stoere, who spoke at a news conference.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health said it was trying to determine how many of the over 50 COVID 19 cases from that party involved the Omicron variant.
We know that they have been infected with the coronavirus, but we don't know which variants are yet. An institute spokeswoman said that they will know that in a couple of days.
There were no issues with the way the company Christmas party was organised, underlining the potential challenges posed by Omicron.
The people at the Christmas party did everything right. They were vaccinated. They took a test ahead of the party, the governing mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen, told a news conference.
Norway had a single day record of 4,624 coronaviruses on Monday, according to data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
On Tuesday, Stoere urged Norwegians to wear face masks in crowded places and the speeding up of booster vaccinations in order to avoid a new lock-down. He had stopped issuing mask mandates, which were urged by some municipalities.
Approximately 88% of adults in Norway and 71% of all Norwegians are fully vaccinated. About 11% of the population have received a booster shot.