Norway claims to have coronavirus outbreak under control
Norwegian Minister of Health said the measures to prevent the spread "have worked," but the Director of the Institute for Public Health is not so sure.
On Monday, Norway's government said it considered the coronavirus outbreak to be "under control" in the country.
Norway's Minister of Health and Care Services Bent Høie said, “The government's emergency measures to combat the spread of infection have worked.”
According to Høie, Norwegians infected with the coronavirus now infect an average of 0.7 others. “That means we have the coronavirus epidemic under control,” said Høie.
That was down from 2.5 when containment measures, such as banning sports and cultural events and the closing of all schools.
The minister said, "The measures have led to us getting a solid upper hand. We have to keep that."
Uncertainty
But the director of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Camilla Stoltenberg, said there was still uncertainty over the certainty of the reproduction rate. She added, "there has been a positive development in the data in recent weeks.”
On March 12, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg said, “The government comes with the strongest and most radical measures we have had in Norway since independence.”
Bars were closed across the country, along with public swimming pools, gyms, hairdressers and massage and tattoo parlors. However, most shops and businesses are still open in Norway.