25 September: – Take the corona City Code with you for the Autumn break

Les denne pressemeldingen på norsk.

The content of this press release may be out of date. See Advice and rules in Oslo for the measures that apply.

– When a lot of people take an Autumn holiday break, no one should take a holiday from infection prevention. I strongly advise everyone in Oslo to stick to the strict guidelines that apply here in the city, whether they are in Oslo or away for the week: do not gather with more than ten people, use face masks in crowds, keep the social distance and take care to wash your hands, said the governing mayor Raymond Johansen (Labour).

The Governing Mayor stressed that infection levels in Oslo are still seriously high. During the last three weeks, the numbers of newly infected people in Oslo increased from 115 in week 36, 209 in week 37 and 310 in week 38. The City Government responded on Monday with:

• Banning more than ten people at private gathering, provisionally until 6th October
• Strongly advising the use of face masks on public transport
• Asking pubs and restaurants to register all guests
• Asking all employers to implement home-office working as far as possible.

The first four days of this week have had an average of 49 new Covid-19 infections each day. If this trend continues, week 39 will end up with around 340 newly infected. This means that infections are still increasing, though less so than in the last weeks.

– The pandemic is a health crisis, but it is also an economic crisis. Oslo now has 33,000 people unemployed. The high infection rates will, over time, have big negative effects as well for jobs and the economy. This is why the City Government has allocated large sums to manage the pandemic, and to keep the economy going. At the same time, we are completely dependent on everyone following the regulations and the advice to prevent the infection spreading. The City is doing its part, says Johansen. He emphasised that the City of Oslo has a good capacity for testing and good systems for tracing infections and for isolating those who are infected.

Measures that are being considered

The City Government is continually reviewing the need for local enforcement and prohibition in the following areas:

• Possible maximum of 50 people at indoor events
• Possible enforcement of face masks on public transport
• Possible obligation to registrater guests at pubs and restaurants

– We won’t hesitate to introduce further enforcements and prohibitions, if necessary. Oslo has responsibility to take control of the situation, out of consideration for those who are most vulnerable in the city, but also for the rest of the country. I won’t hesistate to take that responsibility, if we have to, said Johansen.

Asked employers to have guidelines for home-office working

The City of Oslo has 53,000 employees, with clear guidelines to ensure that as many as possible do office work from home and that meetings are run digitally. The Governing Mayor once more encourages national government offices, voluntary organisations and businesses to apply similar guidelines if they have not already done so.

– To keep the infections down, peoples’ mobility will have to be restricted. I ask all employers in Oslo to implement home-office working as far as possible. This will reduce the pressure on public transport and reduce the number of situations where there is an infection risk, said Johansen.

Campaign with new corona City Code

The City of Oslo will run a campaign during the Autumn break, with clear advice about how everyone can protect themselves and each other from infection.

– After the summer holidays, we had a strong increase in infections in Oslo. People brought the virus back to Oslo, and we saw the start of negative trends that we have had since August. We must avoid the same thing happening again! This is why we will run a campaign through the Autumn break. People must take responsibility for themselves and for others and for the city, also during their holiday, said Johansen.

Take care of yourself and each other! Follow these corona City Code rules during the Autumn:

1. Keep at least one metre distance from others
2. Have a face-mask with you and use it in crowded situations
3. Wash your hands regularly
4. Avoid private gatherings with more than ten people
5. Walk or cycle, and avoid public transport whenever possible
6. Follow the rules for quarantene
7. Use the whole city, and discover new places

Do it for your own, and for each other’s, health. Do it for Oslo!

Press contact

media@byr.oslo.kommune.no / +47 99 28 90 90 (not SMS)

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