When Norway's first ever nationwide lockdown outside of war was introduced in March 2020, I don't think many of us believed what would unfold.

I got so many emails from people asking questions about the situation in Norway. I didn't have the capacity—or the authority, for that matter—to answer personal questions, so I put together this article to help out.

I published this article in the early days of the pandemic and kept it updated for more than two years with facts, figures, and news.

Covid-19 Facts & Figures in Norway

From March 2020 to November 2022, there were 4,286 reported deaths due to Covid-19. According to data supplied by FHI, there were 6,881,802 reported deaths worldwide in the same period.

Most people who died in Norway were above the age of 70 and many had an underlying health condition.

National Coronavirus Rules in Norway

On 12 February, 2022, Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced that virtually all Covid-19 rules and recommendations would no longer be in force.

“We can ease the measures because omicron does not cause as serious a disease as previous variants. Even though the infection is rising, the proportion who end up in hospital is low. We are well protected with the vaccine,” said Støre.

The changes mean that Norwegians no longer needed to wear face masks nor maintain a social distancing of at least one metre from other people in public places. There were also changes to testing and isolation procedures.

However, authorities cautioned that the pandemic could return by way of a new variant, so the future remains uncertain. They also advice caution for those in risk groups.

Covid-19 now has essentially the same status as the flu in Norway. There is no need for the reporting of new infections.

Travel, Border & Entry Restrictions

From 12 February, Norway no longer has any restrictions in place on visiting the country. The rules for entry are now the same as they were before the pandemic, in terms of visas etc.

This means that travellers no longer have to present vaccination certificates, test results or fill out an online registration form in advance of their trip.

For several months, Norway instigated a system of quarantine for international arrivals to the country. In some cases this could be done at home, but others had to quarantine in specific hotels.

In just over one year, the Norwegian state spent more than NOK 2 billion on 1.3 million hotel nights for people in quarantine. There was controversy though, as more than half sat empty.

Norway’s vaccination status

As of 11 February, 2022, 11.15 million vaccine doses had been administered in Norway. 80.2% of the population had received at least one dose, with 74.4% fully vaccinated with two doses.

As of the same date, 52.4% of people have received a third dose to date. In Norway, both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were used.

The History of Coronavirus in Norway

The first coronavirus case in Norway was registered in a resident of Tromsø on 26 February, 2020. The individual had recently returned from China.

They were not seriously ill and were placed under home quarantine. Many of the early cases were then recorded in the Oslo region, including six employees of the eye department at Oslo’s Ullevaal Hospital.

In the early days of the outbreak in Norway, the majority of people who have tested positive were either infected abroad or are close contacts of someone who was. In most cases, the infected person had returned from an area of Europe with a major outbreak, such as northern Italy.

However, that soon changed and the proportion of infections passed on in Norway or with no known source increased rapidly.

The Lockdown

Just a couple of weeks after the first known infection in Norway, the Norwegian government took drastic steps. They introduced the strictest emergency measures ever seen outside of wartime.

Things were stressful in the early weeks of the lockdown. An Oslo man was sentenced to 75 days custodial sentence. His crime? Spitting at the Norwegian police while making threats that he was infected.

Previously, Norway's  said there were plans in place that would cover a scenario whereby up to 25% of Norway's population became infected. In this scenario, other hospital treatment would have to be postponed to enable hundreds of thousands of additional patients to be treated.

With the number of cases increasing rapidly, the government introduced emergency measures to try and stem the spread of the virus.

All educational establishments were closed, along with many workplaces, many shops, bars, restaurants, pubs and other public services. Supermarkets and pharmacies were among the few businesses to remain open.

Since then, several waves of the virus and its variants hit Norway. A variety of national measures were in place since they were initially introduced back in March 2020.

The King's Address

As the government first implemented emergency measures, Norway's King took to the airwaves to reassure the population.

His Majesty King Harald V of Norway held an unexpected live television address from Oslo's Royal Lodge, where the King and Queen had been in home quarantine. They were not ill, but they were in quarantine due to recent travel.

King Harald described the situation as “unreal, alien and frightening,” and offered his “thoughts and prayers” to everyone, especially those who are sick.

He urged the Norwegian people not to panic, trust in one another, and listen to orders given by the authorities. He explained that the number one priority is to slow the spread of the virus. “Together we stand in this, and together we will be able to get through what lies ahead,” said the King.

The “Corona Christmas”

An interesting moment in the restrictions came as we approached the first Christmas during the pandemic. Norway eased some restrictions, albeit temporarily.

“Christmas is a time for closeness, and not a time for distance. But we are worried that the Christmas celebration will lead to more infection in society. We do not want to start the year with rising infection rates,” said Norway's then prime minister, Erna Solberg.

At the time, a household could welcome no more than five guests from different households. Solberg announced that up to ten guests would be permitted on two days over the Christmas period, as long as social distancing was maintained.

PM Breaks Her Own Rules

During Norway's winter holiday in February 2021, the then prime minister Erna Solberg together with family travelled to Geilo, a popular ski resort, to celebrate her 60th birthday.

They stayed in separate apartments, in conjunction with Norway's coronavirus restrictions.

The rules at the time permitted private events of no more than ten people. However, more than ten people gathered together for dinners on two consecutive nights. Solberg was present for one of the events.

Solberg was fined NOK 20,000 but perhaps more importantly, faced ridicule in the national press.

The “New Normal”

It took a long time for things to get back to normal, and Norwegians quickly became accustomed to a “new normal.” Major gatherings remained banned, firstly no more than 50 people, then no more than 200.

Towards the end of the pandemic, adults who experienced symptoms of Covid-19 were asked to take a test at home. If you tested positive using a home test, you were asked register the positive result with your local municipality.

You may then have been asked to confirm the test with a PCR test, but this was unlikely for those who were fully vaccinated.

Adults who tested positive for Covid-19 were recommended to stay at home for four days. There was no restriction on children, but it's recommended they should only return to school or kindergarten after 24 hours free of fever.

What is Covid-19?

According to the , the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention.

This applies in particular to older people and anyone with underlying medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease or cancer. However, anyone can get sick or die regardless of age or health status.

The most common symptoms are fever, cough, tiredness and the loss of taste and/or smell. Less common symptoms include sore throat, headache, aches and pains, diarrhoea, a skin rash, discolouration of fingers or toes, and red/irritated eyes.

Anyone experiencing serious symptoms including difficulty breathing, loss of speech/mobility or confusion, or chest pain should seek immediate medical attention.

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For almost two years, residents of Norway have been subject to social distancing and other measures designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Today, prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced the removal of virtually all restrictions affecting everyday life.

Among other things, Norwegians will not be required to wear face masks or conform to social distancing requirements in public places. There are also changes to testing and isolation procedures.

“We can ease the measures because omicron does not cause as serious a disease as previous variants. Even though the infection is rising, the proportion who end up in hospital is low. We are well protected with the vaccine,” said Støre.

The main changes announced today

The following changes apply immediately:

• There are no longer any rules or recommendations on social distancing, i.e. keeping a distance of one metre from others.
• There are no longer any requirements for the use of face masks in public.
• Only adults who have symptoms are recommended to take a test.
• Requirements for isolation upon a positive test are removed. Instead, infected adults are recommended to stay at home for four days.
• Young children are recommended to stay at home when they are ill, but can go to kindergarten and school as long as they have been fever-free for 24 hours.
• There are no requirements for children to test themselves regardless of symptoms.

Travel rules removed completely

In addition to the everyday restrictions, Norway’s border is now open as it was before the pandemic began.

With immediate effect, there are no longer any requirements for vaccination certificates or testing when entering the country.

The previous requirement for all arrivals including Norwegian citizens to fill out a digital registration form prior to arrival have also been removed. You can .

New testing and isolation procedures

Health minister Ingvild Kjerkol outlined changes to the rules for testing and isolation in the event of a positive test.

“We are now moving away from the recommendation that household members and close relatives should be tested. Adults who have symptoms will still be tested, while kindergarten children and students will not have to,” she said.

The new rules are as follows:

• Adults should get tested in the event of new symptoms, but the testing of asymptomatic individuals is not recommended.
• Children no longer need to be tested, even with symptoms.
• Positive self-tests should be registered in the municipality's infection tracking system.
• Anyone testing positive with a self-test who is not fully vaccinated should follow up with a test at a municipal test station.

Kjerkol said that it is a happy day, and recommended everyone to hug a friend: “Life will become brighter and easier going forward. Live more as normal and fill up the good memory bank, it is important for our mental health. Do something active every day, do something with others every day.”

Things may change

Both the prime minister and health minister were keen to emphasise that the future remains uncertain. Støre said that up to four million people may get infected before the winter is over, leading to a potential surge in sick leave.

He also warned that there may be new waves of infections and/or new variants to come. “The virus can surprise us and mutate again,” he said.

Støre also recommended those in risk groups should continue to take care. “The rest of us must pay attention and we must have solidarity with others and common sense,” he said.

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Surprising new data reveals there was no increase in deaths in Norway compared to previous years during the first three months of the pandemic. 90% of those who died with COVID-19 also had a chronic illness.

Preliminary numbers from the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry at the National Institute of Public Health (FHI) have been released covering the first three months of the pandemic. The results are surprising, and are bound to call into question some of .

Data shows that there were no “excess deaths” in Norway during that period. Excess deaths are the number of deaths above the expected number, based on previous years.

In addition, 90% of those who died with COVID-19 in Norway also had a chronic disease.

The numbers cover the first three months of the pandemic, during which 236 of the 267 COVID-19 related deaths registered so far were recorded.

90% of deaths had chronic illness

Of the 236 deaths examined, 91% saw COVID-19 registered as the underlying cause of death. However,��215 people had at least one chronic illness alongside COVID-19.

“To put it simply, we can say that for these 215 deaths, COVID-19 is considered to be the most important factor that led to death,” explained FHI chief physician Marianne Sørlie Strøm in a .

“But we cannot say anything about how much other causes of death may have contributed to the outcome”, she added.

The most common chronic illnesses in those who died were cardiovascular diseases, with lung disease also common. Dementia, diabetes and cancer were also among the chronic illnesses listed.

No excess deaths

The death tally from the first three months of the pandemic in Norway show no increase in deaths above what would be normal based on previous years. In fact, the numbers for May are lower than would have been expected based on previous years' data.

Read more: The Latest News from Norway

“Nothing points in the direction of excess mortality in the population during the first three months of the pandemic”, confirmed Sørlie Strøm.

Fewer deaths than expected have been registered from cardiovascular diseases, lung-related illnesses, substance-related deaths and suicide.

Read more:

Fewer deaths from flu and pneumonia

Based on data from 2014-18, the expected number of deaths from pneumonia for the period March-May in Norway is 392. However, only 296 deaths were recorded in that period this year.

FHI officials were keen to point out that these are preliminary numbers only – and may change based on any new information. That being said, the study was based on a coverage rate of 98%, so any changes are likely to be small.

FHI's director of infection control, environment and health Frode Forland said that it's reasonable to��believe that infection control measures brought in to prevent the spread of COVID-19��contribute to lower��figures for deaths related to lung diseases.

It's a similar story for influenza deaths, although Forland said figures for influenza deaths vary greatly between years. “It is therefore better to compare entire influenza seasons,” he said.

Elderly hit hardest

Almost 90% of the deaths in Norway were people over the age of 70.

“Also for many of the COVID-19 associated deaths for those under 70 years old there are chronic diseases registered. The exception being dementia and cancer, diseases that largely affect the eldest”, said Sørlie Strøm.

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The Norwegian Prime Minister has urged everyone in Norway to download the new coronavirus app, smittestopp. But what exactly does it do, and why should you download it? Let's take a look.

UPDATE: In the days since this article was published, many problems have been reported. These include , especially on the Android version. NRK also carried a report on how easy it was to appearing to come from the app. Please bear these things in mind if you choose to use the app!

UPDATE JUNE 15: The app has been withdrawn following a formal recommendation from Norway's data agency. We will leave this article here for reference.

About the app

Smittestopp (Infection Stop) is a new smartphone app for iOS and Android. The app is designed to help health authorities limit the spread of coronavirus, which has so far claimed more than 150 lives in Norway. Anonymous information from the movement patterns of the population will be used to design effective infection control measures.

Read more: The Latest Coronavirus News in Norway

At a press conference today, Prime Minister Erna Solberg urged everyone in the country to download it. “Personally, I think that if we are to get everyday life and freedom back, as many people as possible have to download the app,” she said.

Tracking people to limit the spread of the virus

Through the app, the Institute of Public Health (FHI) will receive anonymous data on the movement patterns of society. “In this way, it will be possible to monitor even more closely whether the measures against the coronavirus work, and whether the infected get more close contacts as society eases measures and restrictions,” says FHI.

Eventually, app users will also be able to receive notifications if they have been in close proximity to someone who is later diagnosed with the coronavirus. The message will give advice on what to do to limit further infection. According to FHI, all data is anonymised and used for insight into the effect of the changes in the measures to combat the virus.

Read more: 17 May: Norway’s National Day Parades Cancelled

Bent Høie is Norway's Minister of Health and Care. He said that it has been important to make the app as secure as possible.��FHI and the state-run company Simula have worked together to develop the Smittestopp app. Høie explained that an independent group of experts was commissioned by the Ministry of Health to evaluate the app��before launch.

“Norway is a society with high confidence and a high digital competence.��It is an advantage that allows a small country to do a lot,” said the Minister of Health. He added that all data in the app will be��continuously deleted after 30 days, and that the app itself will be deleted in December.

How the app works

For example, person A has chosen to install the app on her phone.��If she is formally diagnosed with COVID-19, the app can identify other app users that have been in close contact with her before the diagnosis.

Read more: Must-Have Apps for Everyday 51�Թ���

The app uses a smartphone's built-in location services features along with Bluetooth to detect other nearby phones with the app installed. Anyone defined as a ‘close contact' in the days prior to the diagnosis will receive an SMS notification. It's important to state that anyone who receives an SMS will not know it is person A who has been diagnosed.

This happens in addition to the manual infection control measures. Person A will be interviewed by her home municipality to try and identify anyone she knows she has had close contact with.

Privacy concerns

There are inevitable privacy concerns about an app that is essentially designed to track every Norwegian citizen. So much so that one politician from Venstre (Liberal party) has said .

She told Stavanger Aftenblad that the application should have been open source, so that security experts could continually contribute to close security holes and increase data security.

FHI says that only data from the last days is recorded, while older data is deleted. “You can delete your personal information at any time by using the delete functionality in the app. You can also delete the app itself.��And you can choose whether to turn logging features on or off,” states FHI.

According to FHI, information security and user privacy received a high priority in development:

“Data is not available to anyone other than authorised personnel, and only if you are registered as a close contact to someone infected with the coronavirus.��If you are infected with the coronavirus, your close contacts will not know that you are infected, but it cannot be ruled out that they will understand that you are infected.��They will only know what day the close contact took place.”

FHI also states that everyone has a��right to access the data that they store about you.��FHI is working on a digital access solution that allows you to see what information is stored about you.��The solution will be ready in a few days.

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Norway's Constitution Day parades in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim have been cancelled. Other cities are expected to follow.

A few weeks ago, I wrote that the chances of Norway's Constitution Day parades going ahead looked slim. Now, that has been confirmed with the cancellation of public parades by some of Norway's biggest cities.

Last week, the Norwegian government announced a partial lifting of the most drastic emergency measures ever seen in Norway in peacetime. However, while schools will reopen along with some other businesses, public events remain prohibited. This means all cultural and sporting events will be off until mid-June at the earliest.

The aim? To limit the spread of the coronavirus infection COVID-19. At the time of writing, 152 have died in Norway with the infection, while more than 6,700 people have tested positive.

Following the announcement of the extension, Norway's biggest cities announced the cancellation of the parades. While the announcements concern Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger and Drammen, other towns and cities are expected to follow suit.

Norway's biggest public gathering

Norway's Constitution Day involves crowds of people gathering to watch and take part in ‘people's parades'. Watch this video from Trondheim and take a look at this photo from Oslo, and you'll soon see the problem:

As you can see, there's not a lot of social distancing going on on May 17th. Now attention turns to whether the other events usually held will also be cancelled, or if there are any viable alternatives.

Read more: Live Blog from 17 May, 2019

Could the other events be completely cancelled? Restricted in numbers? Or even held online?��Organisers of the festivities are currently working on an alternative program.

Celebrations will “likely be different”

The leader of Trondheim's 17 May committee, Sissel Trønsdal, previously told�� that this year's celebration will likely be different: “What will probably happen is that we will have a different May 17 than we have planned.”

In a press release announcing the cancellation of the parades, Trondheim's organising committee states that they are now working on an alternative celebration. Most of it will be done digitally in collaboration with local media players, according to the statement.

Efforts are also being made to enable Trondheim's residents to be involved in ways that are “in line with current infection control rules.” It's not clear exactly what form that will take, but a finalised Constitution Day program is scheduled for completion by the end of April.

Oslo cancels the anniversary parade

Oslo City Council leader Raymond Johansen told�� a few weeks ago that he “would not be surprised” if the capital's celebrations are postponed this year. In addition to syttende mai, he referred to the Labour Day parades held on the first of May.

A statement this week confirmed the capital's decision. Committee leader Pia Farstad Von Hall said it was a decision of historic dimensions: “It has been a difficult decision, but at the same time a right decision. Health comes first.”

Read more: “My First 17th of May”

Historic because this year marks the 150th year since the first children's parade in Oslo.��In 1870, several hundred children marched up to the palace. This year, thousands of children from over 100 different schools had been scheduled to march along Karl Johans gate.

Alternatives under consideration

One idea that's been floated is to arrange the Oslo celebrations for mid-August instead. One Facebook event suggesting an alternate date in August has received tens of thousands of “likes” in support.

But even if the formal celebrations were to be moved, there will��probably be a celebration of some form on the day regardless. The recent media coverage of Italians singing and applauding from their balconies has inspired some to suggest a similar approach in Norway.

Very small gatherings of friends and family could be supplemented by TV or even online content to create a sense of one national celebration. The cultural director for the city of Alta in northern Norway has suggested the city's marching band could be sent around the city's residential areas in smaller groups.

National broadcaster NRK already does a great job of transmitting celebrations from every corner of the country (and in fact, the world) in a live broadcast throughout the day.��Perhaps some additional events could be introduced, such as a mass sing-a-long of the national anthem at 10am?

“I am optimistic and think we can celebrate May 17 together,”��Lars Helle, editor of Stavanger Aftenblad, said in a recent .

What do you think should happen this syttende mai? Let me know in the comments…

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The coronavirus crisis has seen Norway's tourism industry grind to a halt. With hundreds of thousands laid off and many businesses on the brink, what's next for Norwegian travel?

Tourism in Norway had been booming for a decade. Overnight stays in 2019 increased for the sixth successive year, hitting a new record of����guest nights—a figure that excludes private rentals such as AirBnB and the ever increasing number of day visits from cruise ship passengers.

Almost 170,000 people work in the tourism sector in Norway, approximately 6.7% of the country’s workforce. Everyone in the industry had expected another record-breaking year. Then came the emergency coronavirus measures implemented to try and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Read more:��

Since March 16, Norway’s borders have��essentially been closed��to all non-residents. While domestic travel remains possible, the authorities have strongly advised against all but essential travel.

The recent��ban on overnight stays in cabins��and several municipalities introducing quarantine regulations for anyone returning home has brought the travel industry to an unprecedented halt.

With some of the emergency measures , the industry—and its employees—are facing an uncertain future.

Different approaches in Trondheim

More than 200,000 people in Norway have been temporarily laid off as a result of the crisis, with more than half of that figure coming from the travel and hospitality industries. While almost every company is tightening its belt, some are exploring new revenue opportunities.

In Trondheim, the Clarion Hotel is��renting out rooms by the day��as the requirement for “home office” space booms because of companies closing offices. Elsewhere in the city, wine bar��Spontan��is continuing its Wednesday wine tasting sessions online.

The city’s Destination Marketing Organisation����represents 170 members in Norway’s former Viking capital. Director of Tourism Tanja Holmen says that the team is working hard to promote and support the city’s small businesses: “We urge everyone to support each other and buy local. For our smallest businesses, this could keep them alive.”

Some will struggle, others will thrive

The Norwegian government has announced a series of����to support businesses through the crisis. The measures—which include cash payouts to otherwise sustainable businesses that are severely affected by the current situation—is worth more than 75 billion Norwegian kroner ($7 billion).

has 35 years of experience as an outdoor guide in Norway and is positive about the future. However, he says that despite the substantial government help, not every business will survive:

“I feel lucky to live in Norway where we have such a big savings account that can be used at times like this. But many tour guides are single-person businesses and they are much more vulnerable to any changes that may occur. Those that do manage to weather the storm will come out stronger.”

A strong summer season could save many travel companies

The COVID-19 infection rate has begun to tail off. The Norwegian Prime Minister has announce that several of the emergency measures will be relaxed after Easter.

Even so, many in the industry believe there is little prospect for significant international travel this summer. Many are instead pinning their hopes on a strong summer season for domestic vacations when the current travel restrictions are relaxed.

Fasting’s business����specializes in outdoor and adventure tourism, a sector he believes is well-placed to thrive after the virus restrictions are lifted: “This experience along with increased environmental concerns will make people question their future vacation choices a bit more. I think we’ll see families wanting to do more together rather than just see things.”

It’s a prediction that Holmen agrees with. “We are working on the assumption that this summer will be mostly domestic tourism. I think that once the travel restrictions are lifted, people will be very eager to travel locally and what we can offer in Norway will be very attractive. There’s clean air, experiences out in nature, and in Trondheim a thriving local food scene,” she says.

A concern for industry employees

While a strong domestic season could save many travel companies, many employees will surely find themselves out of work beyond the temporary layoffs. Seasonal employment is big business in the Norwegian travel industry, and a slowdown or even complete lack of international guests will see many of those temporary positions lost.

Stian Ruud from explains that they have been forced to cancel all hiking trips until the end of May and are preparing to extend that:

“We are of course very concerned for our employees including 15 well-trained guides, but as these are seasonal jobs, many have other sources of income. But we’ll try to support them as well as we can. We hope to get some support from the crisis package the government promised last week,” he says.

“Also, we are also encouraging our employees to come up with other ideas on how we can change to meet the challenges ahead. We need to change our mindset,” adds Ruud.

This article was first published on in March 2020 and has since been updated.

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In Norway, påske (Easter) is a cherished time of year. The days are finally getting longer, the sun finally returns and the weather shifts from harsh cold to a (usually) quite pleasant low temperature range that is perfect for skiing and enjoying long hikes in the forest.

Spring in Norway is truly special and for many, påske marks the start of Spring. The birds are chirping, green grass begins to show, beautiful bright flowers pop up all over, the sun returns and brings with a beautiful blue sky.

In addition, it’s usually one of the best times of year for fresh oranges and there are an ample number of “free” holiday days on the calendar. As a result, Norwegians are out in droves to hit the ski trails or mountains, soak up the sun and enjoy a “Kvikk Lunsj og appelsin”.

For my wife and I, påske is our favorite time of year and we wait eagerly for it to arrive so we can take a week of vacation skiing in the mountains, fishing in the fjord, eating too much candy, and soaking up the warm beautiful sun. It’s usually also a great time to break out the Jagermeister or Fireball, crank up the radio and enjoy some great “after ski”.

While this year is no different in the beauty of the season and in our thankfulness for warmth and sun, there are a few major changes due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. This article takes a quick look at some of our favorite Easter traditions in Norway and how those may be slightly different this year.

Cabin trips, alpine skiing and the infamous after-ski

Normally, we head to the cabin near Å�Ի岹�����Ա�� for påske and look forward to long beautiful alpine ski trips in the mountains.

Read more: Norway's Cabin Culture

We do a lot of , in which we put “skins” on the bottom of our skis that allow us to hike up the mountains. On average, it’s about a 4-6 hour trip up with some breaks along the way to eat lunch, enjoy the scenery, take photos and marvel at the incredible beauty that surrounds us in all directions.

Once we reach the top, we peel off the skins, put on helmets and downhill clothing and get ready to reap the sweet rewards of our hard work. The downhill of course is usually only about 30 minutes, but well worth the trek. Even as I type this, my imagination is drifting off to snow covered slopes drenched in rich warm sun with beautiful blue skies and views of the fjord below.

This year, due to travel restrictions and the limitations of local hospitals, people have been asked to not travel outside of the community in which they live. In other words, “don’t go to the cabin!” This means that rather than frolicking on the snow covered mountain slopes we dream about all year long, we’ll instead find some local adventures.

Luckily. Trondheim is filled with beautiful forests, excellent skiing and tons of great places for a young family to explore. So, we’ll head up into the forest behind our house and have a bonfire, we’ll build some forest shelters, we’ll cook hotdogs, we’ll ski the local trails and hopefully we’ll enjoy good weather.

While traveling to the cabin in Å�Ի岹�����Ա�� or visiting is a luxury, we certainly have more than enough beauty and adventures here to keep us busy and satisfied. We are thankful that the community is keeping people safe and healthy and slowing the spread of COVID-19 and reducing potential burden on local hospitals by limiting travel at this time.

Soaking up the sunshine on the veranda

While many may say “sunshine is sunshine, no matter where you go”, there is nothing like the views from the rooftop straight towards Store Vengetind and our other favorite mountains from the cabin.

Nonetheless, all of our neighbors here are already out enjoying the sun and recently warm(ish) weather on their patios. Whether bundled up in heavy jackets or occasionally managing to brave it in a t-shirt, the weather so far has been quite nice and we hope that this påske continues to bring lots of warmth, blue skies and sunshine.

It’s actually been really nice to see everyone at home, enjoying time grilling or sipping on a cold beer in the springtime sun and it feels almost like the summertime vibe when you get a wink, smile and “skål” back from the neighbors next door.

Read more: Easter Traditions in Norway

So, while the views may not be the same and we may not have that same hytte kos vibe, I’ll take sunshine anywhere I can get it and I think this will be a really nice påske to remember as we enjoy the best of it with our closest friends and neighbors (keeping a safe and very Norwegian distance between us, of course).

Easter egg hunts with avalanche beacons

Easter egg hunts have always been a ton of fun and a big thing for us. In recent years, we’ve hidden eggs all around the cabin and used avalanche beacons to locate them (one beacon in the ground buried near the egg and one search device on ourselves). This provides a great opportunity to practice critical mountain rescue skills while having fun.

Usually, my wife hides about 24 eggs which contain riddles and clues to where the other eggs are hidden and it becomes a family race with the in-laws to see who can gather the most eggs and find the coveted few that are full of candy.

This year, since we have a little 18-month old daughter, it will be her first year really doing an Easter egg hunt. We’ve already been practicing indoors, filling eggs with small toys or notes or drawings and scattering them about the house for her to find. It’s a ton of fun for her and a great family stress reliever for us as we juggle the difficulties of watching a little one while remote working.

We look forward to the real Easter egg hunt when we’ll scatter eggs throughout the house, yard, and local neighborhood to have an afternoon long adventure. Since she is young, we’ll fill the eggs with healthy children’s treats, smoothies, drawings and stickers.

Despite not being at the cabin, I am certain that this year’s Easter egg hunt will be our best ever!!!

Satisfying the sweet tooth

Påske is the sweet tooth time of year! Normally, everyone heads to the local grocery and shovels an insane amount of unwrapped loose candy into paper bags to snack on during the entire påske holiday. You ski, you drink, you eat waaaay too much candy, you repeat. That’s the basics of påske for most.

Read more: Norwegian Chocolate Bars You Must Try

However, due to COVID health concerns, the grocery stores are no longer selling unwrapped loose candy in the bins (and for good reason!). Luckily, many stores have done the nice thing and filled bags of various sizes with mixed candies.

So, while you can’t choose exactly how much you want of each, it’s still quite nice of them to package the candies into individual assorted bags for purchase. There are of course also still all of the options of chocolates, wrapped candies and everything else as normal.

Fishing in the fjord

Normally, påske is one of the best times of year for fjord fishing. Often, we (and by we I mean my wife) reel in a good amount of fresh fish, which sometimes includes massive cod. This makes for a great lunch time meal for the family and it’s a nice break to fish or kayak for the day when your legs are exhausted from skiing.

Read more: Fishing in Norway

This year, there probably won’t be any fishing. It’s not because of lack of opportunity, but rather lack of equipment. While there is still Trondheimsfjord in close proximity, we don’t have a boat here! Hence, there’s at least one favorite påske tradition that will have to wait.

Arts & crafts, aka “påskepynt”

Easter decorations haven’t always been a huge thing here… but with daycare closed and spending more time at home than usual, wifey has managed to create some pretty cool Easter decorations.

In addition, the thoughtful teachers at the daycare have put together some packages and idea lists to keep the little ones busy. So, we have had plenty of DIY projects to fill the house with bright Easter cheer.

I think we would have done some decorations regardless, but I score this up as a win given the circumstance. Despite juggling the full list of things to do, it has been really nice to have the whole family home as wifey and I trade turns watching our daughter… and having so many smart craft ideas has been a huge blessing and lots of fun!

Påske sculptures in the snow

This one is a big tradition for us. Each year, we hike to the top of a big mountain, cook some food, enjoy a Kvikk Lunsj and build a huge snow sculpture.

We’ve done bunnies, bears, chickens and a handful of other funny designs… including a wedding cake in celebration of our upcoming marriage in 2017. For color, we use flavored drink mix which doesn’t do any harm or leave any chemicals in the snow after.

We hope to do a påske sculpture again this year, but as I look out the window all of the snow has melted. Perhaps we get the chance to find some along one of the ski trails… I just checked and the app shows that the trails are prepped within the last few hours, so there must still be plenty of snow somewhere. The tradition continues!

It’s just not Easter without a murder mystery

For some reason which I still do not understand, påskekrim (Easter crime) is a thing here in which folks enjoy lots of riddles on the milk carton, crime movies, shows and books.

We even do an annual påskekrim mystery where wifey plans something crazy and we all have to figure out who did what. It’s a lot of fun and keeps us all laughing. I’m sure this year will be no different.

Read more: Scandinavian Crime Fiction

Family dinner

Of course, one of the big celebrations is having the whole family together for a big meal of lamb. In many places, people eat rakfisk, which is a fermented dish made of trout.

While not everyone can join this year, family meals are always a highlight of påske and we look forward to having almost everyone together.

The post Påske 2020: Easter in Norway in the Time of Coronavirus appeared first on 51�Թ���.

UPDATED 24 MARCH: The Norwegian Prime Minister has announced the extension of the country's emergency measures up to and including Easter. The most drastic set of measures ever seen outside of wartime aim to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Millions of Norwegians and foreigners living in or visiting Norway have been impacted by a drastic set of measures announced by Erna Solberg earlier in March. Norway essentially shut itself down for two weeks, in a bid to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease.

At the time of writing 12 people have died in Norway from the disease. Given the higher numbers of hospitalised patients, many in intensive care, that number is likely to rise. More than 2,500 people have tested positive for the virus, but not everyone with symptoms is being tested.

Norway extends emergency measures

UPDATE: Prime Minister Erna Solberg has today (24 March) announced the extension of all emergency measures up to and including Easter. They will now apply to 13 April.

“I want to thank everyone who has followed the authorities' advice, and like everyone else, I look forward to returning to everyday life.��We believe that the new figures from FHI show that the corona measures work. Therefore, the corona measures are continued until Easter, until April 13,” said Solberg.

“Unfortunately, the government's decision today places severe restrictions on our everyday lives, but we do it for everyone we love,” she added.

��𲹻������ǰ���: Coronavirus in Norway: The Latest News

Norway's emergency measures

All schools, kindergartens and universities are to close. Most public events are banned. Bars and restaurants will be closed, except when they can keep customers at least one metre apart. With a drastically reduced number of customers, many are closing regardless.

Most relevant to readers of 51�Թ��� is perhaps the most dramatic measure of all. Anyone who has travelled abroad since 27 February should be home quarantined for 14 days. Supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open. Here’s what home quarantine means.

Solberg admitted that the measures are very drastic and that Norway will “go at a very slow pace” over the coming 14 days. “It is extremely important that people follow this advice.��To be able to curb this, we need everyone to come together,” she said.

Read on for more details, or read the full details (in Norwegian)

Quarantine after travelling abroad

The government discourages all travel that is not strictly necessary. Anyone who has returned from abroad��must stay at home for 14 days from when they returned to Norway. This applies regardless of your health.

Read more:��

“It has been important for us to find the right time to implement such measures.��We have long hoped that this would be unnecessary, but we have seen an escalation of the situation in Europe and Norway over the past 24 hours,” said Health Director Bjørn Guldvog.

He added that Norway has entered a new phase of the pandemic, where the spread of the coronavirus can no longer be tracked.��“This morning, the European��Centre for Disease��Prevention��and Control has issued recommendations that all countries should now implement these types of measures, and they work best when implemented across our continent,” said Guldvog.

Events banned

Acting under Norway's Communicable Diseases Act, the Directorate of Health has announced the closure of:

• Cultural events
• Sports events and organised sports activities both indoors and outdoors
• Establishments in the hospitality industry except for places where food is served that can allow visitors to stay at least 1 meter away, such as canteens.��Food should not be served as a buffet.��The hospitality industry includes restaurants, bars, pubs and nightlife.
• Gyms
• Companies that offer hairdressing services, skin care, massage and body care, tattooing, piercing etc
• Swimming pools, water parks etc

Schools and universities closed

The Norwegian Directorate of Health has decided to close all schools ranging from kindergartens through to universities. The closure is valid from 6pm today (Thursday 12 March) through to Thursday 26 March. However, it was emphasised at the press conference that this measure could be extended if required.

UPDATE 24 MARCH: As stated above, these measures have now been continued up to and including 13 April.

Solberg said that employees should not call on elderly relatives for help with childcare. “We must remind you who we should be most looking out for. We should therefore not hand over childcare to grandparents who are in the highest risk category.”��There will be a care offer available for very young children with parents in socially critical functions.

Read more: Flights Cancelled as Coronavirus Disrupts Air Travel

A joint effort is needed

The European��Centre for Disease��Prevention��and Control��recently published an updated risk assessment showing that the virus is spreading alarmingly fast.��Health Minister Bent Høie said the measures are being taken in the hope of stopping the virus: “The grip we now take will be perceived as burdensome and will have major consequences for Norwegian society, but it is a joint effort that we must take together.”

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More than 100,000 people have been temporarily laid off in Norway because of the coronavirus crisis. Many more will likely follow. Here's what “permittering” means during these highly unusual times.

At the time of writing, an unprecedented number of people have been temporarily laid off in Norway because of the coronavirus crisis. Emergency legislation has allowed businesses to dismiss their staff with just two days’ notice. As the krone plummets to a record low, we ask what will be the long-term repercussions for economy?

What is “permittering”?

In Norway, employees can be ‘permittert’��from their job, meaning they are ‘temporarily laid off’. The employer is then temporarily exempt from pay obligations. However, the employment relationship remains, and it is assumed that the work stoppage is only temporary.

Read more: Coronavirus in Norway: The Latest News

Generally, ‘permittering’ is used when companies are going through financial difficulties. If it is likely the layoff will be permanent, the company is obliged to terminate the contract. Workers’ rights are passionately protected in Norway and the burden for proving the necessity of any dismissal has always laid firmly at the employer’s door.

Over the past few decades, Norwegian employees have had excellent job security and enjoyed some of the best social benefits in Europe. Usually the rules are that��when a company has to temporarily lay off staff, it must give the employee a minimum of two weeks’��notice and provide detailed rationale for Welfare and Labour Administration (NAV). The company is then obliged to pay full salary for the first 15 days after the employee has stopped work.

After this, the state takes over. From this point, the individual will receive 62.4% of their regular salary directly from the government (up to a salary cap of NOK 600,000) for a maximum of 26 weeks. There are of course many details and exceptions, which are covered in detail (in Norwegian)��.

But the coronavirus is unprecedented – what was defined as ‘likely’ or ‘necessary’ in yesterday’s world, is less clear in today’s fluid times.

Layoffs during the coronavirus crisis

The big news here is that the Norwegian government rushed through emergency��legislation in order to allow companies to only offer two days’ notice before their period of ‘permittering’ begins, and two days' payment.

Read more: Coronavirus: Hurtigruten Suspends Coastal Service For One Month

Many workers in the travel and hospitality industries, which have been particularly hard hit by the Norwegian regulations on social distancing, have effectively lost their jobs overnight. At the time of writing the number of those temporarily laid off because of the coronavirus was well over 100,000.

In the last week 185,000 people have applied for financial support from NAV, including approximately 90% of SAS and Norwegian Airlines staff. It is the highest level of unemployment since the Great Depression. Leading financial newspaper Dagens Næringliv has billed it .

One positive is that the hospitality industry has led the successful petition for laid off employees to get 100% of their salary for the��first 20 working days in the wake of the crisis, instead of the standard 62.4%. This applies to all sectors, not just hospitality.

All things considered, it is a very��accommodating parachute payment, which has been cobbled together to make the process easier for the��hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars theatres etc. who have had to suddenly close their operations and are at particular risk from the ongoing crisis.

Having the status of unemployed also brings other social benefits to provide some welcome relief. For example, child benefit increases from the moment of registration. This demonstrates that some of the “safety net” social measures put in place over the years are effective when they are needed most.

It’s impossible to cover everything here as the rules are so complex, but you can get a good overview of the other benefits at . Just bear in mind that right now they are busier than ever before, so it may take some time to get queries answered.

The pros and cons of the emergency measures

The coronavirus is a worldwide crisis and the best way to deal with the economic fallout is, at this stage, a hypothesis at best. Countries are having to create emergency legislation, building upon the realities of their political systems. Norway is taking advantage of 10 trillion kroner emergency fund which the state has ferreted away for a rainy day. The latest figures from Finance Minister Jan Tore Sanner suggest that crisis management has cost the government NOK 280 billion so far.

Read more:��Comparing Coronavirus Response in Norway & the UK

It is a favourable start-point, but 1.5 million jobs already said to be “affected” by the crisis (equalling ¾ of the private sector workforce). The support is functioning and morale is high, the concern is that if the situation lingers the rising debt will cause businesses to close, and thus the temporary lay-offs will become permanent.

In the short-term, small business owners have been given a more��flexible approach to managing workers’ rights, which gives them a lifeline to survive.��Several restaurant owners in Trondheim have expressed their gratitude at this legislation,��claiming they would have been bankrupt before the end of the crisis otherwise. The changes to the law allow them to tighten their belts, go��into hibernation mode and rest assured that everyone in their industry is “in it together”.

The state has stepped up and put its hands in to its, admittedly deep, pockets. Laid-off employees are reimbursed more than usual (and that's from a starting point way above most European countries) which has generated public support for the policies.

Norwegians’ relationships with the state

The cultural togetherness of Norway has parallels with China’s authoritarian regime, in that the homogeneity allows the state to pass draconian measures which would not be so readily accepted by most European neighbours. Norwegians have, by and large, accepted these measures with a smile, confident in their government’s ability to steer them through these waters and get them back to work.

However, Norwegian workers are ceding a lot of authority to the state. Large companies are suddenly able to fire their staff without notice or��the obligation to pay for the severance. There has been a snowball effect with a wide-range of industries jumping on the bandwagon,��cancelling events, reducing services and changing plans for months in advance, causing��major repercussions.

An economic crisis

The result is ghastly. What started as measures to contain a health emergency are now tools being utilized to mitigate an economic disaster. Norway is generally a conformist country and as such people have by-and-large toed the party line.

They have answered the call for social distancing. The streets are empty, all events are cancelled, parents are home-schooling their kids, people have stopped touching each other or socializing, Facebook filters urge people to #staythefuckathome, businesses have embraced home offices and everyone’s screen-time is up.

Read more: Quarantined King of Norway Addresses Nation

The running joke is that Norwegians, who are typically reserved and value their personal space, have been preparing themselves for such a crisis all their lives!��However, I am noticing more demurring voices as reality starts to bite. The longer this crisis goes on, the louder those they are likely to be.

The latest news is of the rapid weakening of the Norwegian krone. While this is good for businesses that export, it means prices for everyday goods are likely to soar in a country that imports much of its food. Another positive of a weakening currency—that the country is cheaper for tourists for visit—is not applicable right now.

The bottom line

The Norwegian policy seems generous but is it unwittingly bottoming out the market? Employers have received a get-out-of-jail-free card and most have cashed it in. This, in conjunction with strict instructions for people to stay at home, means the economy has come to a shuddering halt. The fallout could see generational shift in the way we travel and shop. This may come to haunt the travel and hospitality industries for years to come.

What will happen to those who have been temporarily laid off? In order to access the generous 100% job seeker’s money, they have had to sign on as unemployed. This means accepting all the standard criteria of a job-seeker, which of course NAV have not had time to change.

Such is the scale of the crisis, it is��unlikely NAV will hold jobseekers to these criteria, but they have to declare they are willing to, for example; a) take a job (including part time) in a different area of the country; b)��in a different industry and c) at a lower pay, or risk losing my benefits.

In theory, if job-seekers disagree with these criteria, they would have to provide lengthy explanations why not, and��would probably see a delay in receiving the money. It kind of makes a mockery of the idea of the ‘permittering’ being temporary.

These might be seen as ‘luxury problems’, in the context of what is happening elsewhere in the world. One thing is for sure; the social democracy model is going to be put to the test in the coming months, and the legacy of Norway’s actions will be the subject matter of many a future history class.

The post ‘Permittering’: Temporary Layoffs in Norway During the Coronavirus Crisis appeared first on 51�Թ���.

An account of life as a foreign student at the University of Oslo during these unprecedented times. What has changed and what hasn't?

I returned to Oslo on New Year’s Day after a two-week Christmas holiday in the U.K. It was downtime that allowed me to eat well, relax and spend time with my family. Then the time came, and I was excited to return to Norway, to my cosy flat and for the start of my second semester at the University of Oslo (UiO).

I’m on a two-year master’s programme at the university, studying the rather obscure Ibsen Studies. I have been interested in his plays for a long time and it seemed like a logical next step following a bachelor in English Literature.

Read more: Norway Is Closed: PM Takes Drastic Measures to Stop Coronavirus

My first semester at UiO was an enjoyable one and it even including a short study trip to Rome in Italy. Shortly after returning to Norway in January, the had started to unfold at worrying pace, first in China and then beyond.

I don’t think I was alone in thinking the virus would never make it to these shores. Or even if it did, how much impact would it actually have. Like many others – I was wrong.

The first communications

The communications from UiO (University of Oslo) and SiO (The Foundation of Student Life in Oslo and Akesrhus) through late February to the present day have been as coherent and as clear as they could have been.

Emails and text messages have trickled into my inboxes ever since the authorities here in Norway started to take the situation more seriously.

Read more: Home Quarantine in Norway

Those messages were at first ones of “if you have travelled to an infected area recently, then you should self-isolate etc”. Then, “we are closely monitoring the situation”. Then came the guidelines around “good hygiene practices and unnecessary crowding in places – no parties”.

I think in my own mind, things stepped up a notch when UiO stated that the campus will be closed for the time being, and that we should await further instructions. I think before this – and before any official announcements of closures from the Norwegian government – many failed to take the situation seriously.

The early changes to student life

Communications from the humanities department, and in particular, the Centre for Ibsen Studies at the university were also very good. There was a general feeling amongst fellow students that the department was moving quickly to avoid any disruption to study programmes.

This feeling was confirmed when on 11 March it was announced that all courses would migrate over to digital lectures and seminars up to the date of the 14 April at the earliest.

My experience of online lectures

Following just one week of full closure at the university (2 to 6 March) the digital experience and early experimentation started.

Read more: Coronavirus in Norway: The Latest News

I can’t comment on what software is being used by other departments at UiO but the Centre for Ibsen Studies uses a platform called Zoom. Initially I may have had my doubts about ‘online teaching’ and how engaging it could be but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

The platform allowed for the almost expected PowerPoint presentation, webcams and audio of the lecturer(s) and each of the students' (should they feel comfortable enough to turn them on). Overall, things were interesting and fun.

One of the downsides is that the classroom experience is lost. For example, one of the things I missed most was the interaction, being able to ask a question or receive feedback face-to-face. This element is diluted somewhat by digital seminars. Of course you can still ask questions but it wasn't the same.

Normality

Again, I can’t speak for the majority, but I was quite lucky. Students on my programme had already covered the main lectures earlier in the semester and that final essay and assignment writing was well underway. My academic world really hasn’t changed all that much.

The surrounding circumstances, however, do put everything into sharp context. Just how important is a piece of paper with my name on saying I’d studied a master’s for two years anyway? I contemplated that thought a lot during early March.��Motivation did come back, at some point, and, in the end, study worked as a distraction form the serious.

Daily routine

My days are now filled with Netflix, people-watching from my window, spending far too much time on social media, essay writing or reading Ibsen plays. The last of those mentioned has proved to be a nice escape from the real world.

Yesterday, after two days of not leaving my building, I took a short walk to the grocery store to buy some supplies. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated being outside more than I did in that moment. The sky was bright blue, the birds were chirping and the air was crisp and fresh. Spring is close, I think to myself.

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