Before Christmas, there were many who wanted to test themselves before they were to gather with the family for a Christmas party, according to figures from FHI.
However, if you plan to take a PCR or rapid test before New Year’s Eve, it can be demanding in some municipalities.
– If you are fully vaccinated and healthy, there is no need to take a test. Only those who know about symptoms, are close contacts or those who are to be tested out of quarantine need to take a test.
This is what the municipal chief in Trondheim, Tove Røsstad, tells Dagbladet.
– Worst we have experienced
In the municipalities, it is not easy to get a PCR or rapid test if you do not have respiratory symptoms or are in quarantine.
– The test capacity is good, but we have it for priority use. Now it is people with respiratory symptoms and close contacts who are prioritized for testing, says the municipal chief.
However, she emphasizes that if you want to test yourself, you must obtain the test yourself.
REASONABLE: Municipal chief physician in Trondheim, Tove Røsstad, says that one should use the tests sensibly in the future, because there are not infinitely many tests available. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB
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– Tests a lot
In the last four days, there are 1140 people who have tested for corona in Trondheim municipality.
On Tuesday, 74 new cases of infection were registered in the municipality. There is a strong increase from Monday, when 44 cases of infection were registered. Between 21 and 26 December, 357 cases of infection were registered in Trondheim.
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According to NRK there is also very tight capacity at St. Olav’s hospital for analyzes of PCR tests.
– People test themselves more than a lot, even if it is not recommended. There are many fully vaccinated people who test themselves to be sure before they go to an event or before they meet people in the risk groups, says Røsstad.
Furthermore, she points out that people in the risk groups have largely been vaccinated with the third dose, and are therefore well protected against serious illness.
People who are not on the list of priority test groups in the municipality are refused from taking a PCR or rapid test, the municipal doctor states. Thus, priority is not given to persons who are to participate in a family company where a negative rapid test is “required”.
– The reason for this is that there are a limited number of tests. The most important thing is that you do not visit others if you are ill, she says.
The municipal supervisor states that, for reasons of test capacity, they also use PCR tests, ie stick tests for children and the elderly, and saliva tests for adults in general.
– Some have horrible numbers
Self-test before New Year
Assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad still encourages people to take a home test, if they have it available.
He tells Dagbladet that it can be a good idea to take a test before going to a larger event, such as New Year’s Eve, to be on the “safe side”. He points out that this primarily applies to self-tests.
– If you have self-tests at home and want to use them before you meet other people, then it can be very wise, he says to Dagbladet.
He emphasizes that you should take the test right before you go to be on the safe side.
– The most important thing is to know if you have symptoms. If you get a sore throat, headache or fever, then you should not participate. Even if the self-test is negative.
SELF-TEST: Assistant health director Espen Nakstad says that it may be a good idea to take a self-test before the New Year’s party if you have one lying at home Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB
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– Better capacity in Oslo
The chief infection control officer in Oslo, Frode Hagen, also has the same appeal as Røsstad to the population in Oslo.
– You do not need to test yourself if you do not have symptoms, or are close contact, he says to NRK, which first mentioned the case.
The test and analysis capacity is still high in Oslo, and Hagen states that they have enough people to perform coronation testing in the municipality.
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– The test numbers are on the way down, so it means that we have a better test capacity in the municipality, Hagen says to Dagbladet.
He refers to Oslo’s test numbers and states that there were 35,316 tests taken under the auspices of the municipality between 20 and 27 December. In the same week, 6,729 cases of infection were registered in the capital.
Hagen believes that if people still want to take a test, then you should take a self-test.
– If you want to test yourself before an event with several people, then it is recommended that you take a self-test. It is better for that type of purpose. The PCR tests are more reserved for those who know about symptoms or those who are to be tested out of quarantine, says Hagen.
– It’s a problem
Otherwise, the infection control doctor believes that it is important that people remember the infection control measures, also until New Year’s Eve.
– It is the usual advice and measures that are still just as important to follow. Even if the infection numbers go down, we expect the infection to increase again in the new year, says Hagen.
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– Should be used sensibly
The municipal chief in Trondheim states that they regularly receive test supplies from the health authorities, so they have the tests they need for priority use.
Nevertheless, she points out that priority should be given to who is recommended to be tested.
– You should use the tests sensibly in the future, because there are not infinitely many tests available, says Røsstad.
Nakstad tells Dagbladet that it is important that all school students are tested before they return to school in January.
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– That is why we have sent in extra tests to the municipalities that need it now before Christmas. We have sent out tests so that they will have enough tests to be able to test 75 percent of their inhabitants. In addition, we send many millions of tests so that they can build up the warehouses, he says to Dagbladet.
As of today, you can not even register the positive answer to a self-test with the health authorities.
Health director Bjørn Guldvog informs Dagbladet that they are now working to find a solution where you can register the test result yourself.
– To get a good overview of the disease development and the total consumption of tests, it will be an advantage that we also provide opportunities to register the self-tests. This is something we are working on and which we will hopefully find solutions to eventually, says Guldvog.
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