Norway will fully reopen, ending COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and social interactions, the country’s Prime Minister has announced.
“Now we are going back to a normal everyday life,” Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg declared, while speaking at an official press conference.
Government’s decision to remove the strict COVID-19 restrictions comes 561 days after they were first introduced to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, with Norwegian health authorities also giving the green light for other restrictions, such as those on sports venues and travel to end in the coming weeks.
Solberg solemnly stated that, from 4pm from Saturday, (September 25), Norway will “remove most of the infection control measures,” giving “a big thank you” to citizens for complying.
While measures will be lifted in the next 24 hours, the Norwegian PM urged businesses to not start preparing for customers to return until tomorrow, as the rules are still in place until the “common time” that has been agreed.
Although Norwegian officials feel comfortable enough to start reopening the country, the official urged eligible citizens to ensure they are fully vaccinated, describing it as their “civic duty” and issuing a plea to “minority communities” who have not yet had the jab.
Responding to the announcement, the head of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, Ole Erik Almlid, declared that this is what “the whole society has longed for,” even though “the finish line has not yet been reached,” with more work to come until industries have fully rebounded.
