In the last 24 hours, 989 corona infections have been registered in Norway, which is the fourth highest in one day so far during the pandemic.
While there is a steady increase in cases of infection in several places in the country, Assistant Director of Health Espen Nakstad is particularly concerned about the severe infection in some municipalities in Eastern Norway.
– We now have major problems in Asker, Bærum, Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg, among other places, where it now looks as if the infection is rising sharply, he says.
Worried about the young people
And there is one group in particular that stands out strongly when it comes to the increase in infection.
– What will be exciting is if we get control of the infection among children and young people, as it is they who are now driving the pandemic forward and that is where the infection rates are highest, Nakstad says.
The assistant director of health says that it is absolutely crucial what the municipalities now do in relation to the infection among children and young people, as they are not part of the regulations with the strengthened infection control measures.
– May completely lose control
Although Nakstad is worried about the infection among children and young people, his biggest concern is what will happen to the infection pressure over the next week.
– If the increase in infection continues into next week, we are in a situation where test and infection tracking will break down in some places – because they are at maximum capacity now when it comes to both sample analyzes and infection tracking work, says Nakstad.
He says that if that happens, we will get much more hidden infection in society.
– Then the dark numbers get bigger and we start to lose control completely. Then we are as close to a total shutdown as we can get, at least in the parts of the country where this is increasing, says Nakstad.
Several infection records
On Saturday, a new infection record was set in Bærum, with 67 new registered infections in the last 24 hours. While Asker set an infection record on Friday with 47 people who tested positive for coronavirus.
Sarpsborg municipality reports on Saturday a sharp increase in infection rates.
In the last 24 hours, 75 new cases were registered in Sarpsborg. – The mutated virus has taken over, says municipal chief physician Karianne Jenseg Bergman.
The number of days is about as many as the municipality registered in the five months from April to September last year in total, writes the municipality.
– The crisis management was prepared for an increase in the numbers, and it is a serious situation, says mayor Sindre Martinsen-Evje.
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