Operation leader Andre Kråkenes in the Oslo police district tells NTB that it is very full in Frognerparken on Monday night, and that very few follow the infection control rules. The police have notified Oslo Municipality and are asking the municipality to clean up.
– We can do nothing but encourage them nicely to keep their distance and follow the infection control rules. They do so to a small degree, says Kråkenes.
In addition to the big party in Frognerparken, where several are gathered in connection with the sponsor week, the police are called down with tips about private parties with more than 20 people. Kråkenes says the police cannot prioritize this.
Fake news about infection
– We are not infection control police. It is a municipal responsibility to follow up what is happening in Frognerparken, and we have notified the emergency services in Oslo municipality about it, but have not received any feedback, says Kråkenes.
– What do people say when you encourage them to follow the infection control rules?
– We see that some express that they have no faith in those things that are infected, that it is almost fake news. It is the worst fight the health care system has I think: The one against stupidity, says Kråkenes.
The emergency preparedness agency informs NTB that it is the urban environment agency that is responsible for following up, but that they can also do nothing if people refuse to follow the infection control rules.
Kråkenes warns that the police will drop by Frognerparken from time to time through the night, but emphasizes that it is the municipality that must take responsibility and get the party closed.
The sponsorship week is worrying
This year’s sponsorship week worries the authorities. In Bergen, the police moved out due to 150 students in a tight queue. The incident in Bergen arose in connection with a rebus race for the students at Kristiania University College, writes BergensAvisen.
Pictures from the place show a large number of students standing close together in a long queue outside Eplehuset in Bergen city center.
– Such large accumulations are not desirable, and we ask people to abide by the distance rules. The measures inside the store were good, but on the outside it was problematic, says task leader Tom Johannessen in the West police district.
Ask the school to sort it out
The chief infection control officer reacts with concern about the situation and says that she will call the school immediately.
– We have advised against rebus races and pub-to-pub. We rather want them to stay in one place and have a good time together in a small group, says infection control chief Karina Koller Løland to BA.
The university college’s sponsor board explains that action has been taken after the queue situation.
– There were quite a few sponsor groups that went to that post at the same time, and it is very unfortunate. We have guards on all posts, but they had not fully prepared for the fact that there would be so many at once, says Line Louise Røen, who is head of regional market development at Campus Kristiania.
Health authorities worried
At BI, all nightlife events during the sponsor week “Sponsor Roll” have been canceled due to the corona pandemic. BI in Oslo closed its student bar after only two hours on Monday night, writes VG.
Last week, the University of Oslo (UiO) informed NTB that the sponsorship week will be carried out, but in smaller groups than usual.
Corona infection among young people in connection with parties and social gatherings has been a hot topic in the last week, and in Oslo more than 40 people have been infected after a number of parties. Both Minister of Health Bent Høie (H) and the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) have reacted to the situation.
– Partying among young people and especially the sponsorship weeks that will now start at universities and colleges, is something we look at with concern, said department director Line Vold in FHI on Friday.
– It is important that students can meet and build social networks, but we warn against gathering large numbers of people, especially mixed with alcohol, she said.
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