Introduction of regional measures

Municipalities covered by regional infection control measures

Oslo and municipalities in Viken:

• Asker
• Aurskog-Høland
• Bærum
• Drammen
• Eidskog
• Eidsvoll
• Enebakk
• Frogn
• Gjerdrum
• Grue
• Halden
• Hole
• Hurdal
• Indre Østfold
• Jevnaker
• Kongsberg
• Kongsvinger
• Lier
• Lillestrøm 
• Lunner
• Lørenskog
• Marker
• Moss
• Nannestad
• Nes
• Nesodden
• Nittedal
• Nord-Odal
• Nodre Follo
• Oslo
• Rakkestad
• Rælingen
• Råde
• Sarpsborg
• Skiptvet
• Sør-Odal
• Ullensaker 
• Vestby
• Våler
• Øvre Eiker
• Ås

Municipalities in Vestland county: 

• Alver
• Askøy
• Austevoll
• Austrheim
• Bergen
• Bjørnafjorden
• Kvam
• Osterøy
• Modalen
• Samnanger
• Vaksdal
• Voss
• Øygarden

These are the regional measures

• Mandatory use of face coverings when it is not possible to keep a distance of at least 1 meter in shops, shopping centres, venues that serve food or alcohol, public transport, indoor station areas, and taxis. The duty to wear a face covering does not apply to children under the age of 12, or to those who are unable to wear a face covering for medical or other reasons. People are also recommended to wear a face covering in places where there are many people and it is difficult to keep a distance – for example at the cloakroom after attending an event or when you are in a crowd leaving a football stadium. The duty to wear a face covering does not apply while sitting in designated seating or at a table in a venue that serves food or alcohol.
  
  
• Requirement that workplaces at which it is possible for employees to work from home, without this having a negative impact on important and necessary services, make sure that employees work from home for all or part of the week. For example, arrangements can be made for employees to work from home half of the time.
• Attendance restriction for indoor private events of up to 100 people at a public venue or in a rented/borrowed venue.
• Duty for venues that serve food or alcohol and event organisers to register guests in order to be able to notify guests if they are exposed to infection.
• Requirement to only serve alcohol at tables for venues that serve food or alcohol and events that have a licence to serve alcohol.
• Requirement of seating for all guests at venues that have a licence to serve alcohol.
• Attendance restriction for indoor events without designated seating of up to 600 people (in cohorts of 200).

The regional measures for Oslo and municipalities in Viken county will apply from Friday 3 December 2021 at 12 am. The measures will initially be in place for 14 days.

The regional measures for Vestland county will apply from Friday 3 December 2021 at 9 pm until further notice. 

I tillegg omfattes kommunene av de nasjonale rådene og reglene.

Why are regional infection control measures necessary?

To suppress an outbreak, it may be necessary to introduce strict measures for several municipalities in a region so that efforts are coordinated.

It may be necessary for the Norwegian Government to adopt Regulations that implement regional measures in the following situations:

• In regions with a high infection rate and large strain on the health and care service where the municipalities need to coordinate measures, and they are unable to achieve this themselves within a reasonable period of time.
• The same will apply when the situation indicates that the regions are at risk of finding themselves in such a situation.

The County Governor will draw up a proposal for a package of measures when it is necessary to coordinate measures in several municipalities within a region, in consultation with the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

If some municipalities still do not want to implement local measures or the process to coordinate regional measures will take too long, the Norwegian Directorate of Health will send its recommendation to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

This recommendation will be based on input and assessments from the municipalities affected, the County Governor, and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The Minister of Health and Care Services will then decide whether to adopt Regulations containing regional measures and determine which measures are required, and their duration.