Confused about coronavirus restrictions? You are not alone.

On the [2nd of March](3), the local government in Oslo tightened the restrictions due to the spread of the new mutant virus, effectively closing all non-essential stores and eat-in restaurants. This came after the previous local changes from the [18th of February](4), when Oslo set study halls and high schools on a lower level of alertness. With the rules changing as often as they are, some international students have expressed some difficulty keeping up to date.

Facebook Groups and Government Websites

Arstanaly Rysbekov (23) is an international student at the University of Oslo. He is from Kyrgyzstan and has been in Norway since November. He describes the process of keeping up to date as a mixed bag. Initially it was quite difficult but over time he developed certain routines to keep on top of things.

– When I first came here in November, I didn’t know that a new restriction had just taken effect the day before, so I was ready one evening to go outside and find a pub to drink at, only to find that I couldn’t get in, Rysbekov says.

Other initial difficulties involved not knowing which sources of information were the most reliable, and uncertainty about national and local guidelines.

– After a couple of months, I developed that habit of checking a few different trusted sources daily.

These include sources such as the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s website (FHI in Norwegian) as well as the Oslo City Government’s official website. However, confusion about local guidelines vs. national guidelines is a problem that continues to this day.

– Many sources only have information about guidelines which apply for the whole country. But, of course, there is variation on a local level. I still have to ask my friends continuously if I am understanding the rules correctly, for instance whether a specific rule applies nationally or if it’s different in Oslo. There is this constant feeling that I might be missing out on something.

One source of information comes out on top for Arstanaly when it comes to keeping up to date: social media.

– Usually, I check Facebook groups for expats in Norway – especially Oslo. There are some great groups for that. Social media is the easiest way for me to stay up to date, because it is something that I check constantly, and I get notified right away if there’s a change. Usually when there is a press conference announcing new rules, the admin will post a link to it in English in one of the groups.

These groups include «International Students at The University of Oslo (UiO)» on Facebook, where the University itself keeps members posted on the guidelines as they pertain to campus.

Still, Arstan expresses some concern regarding misinformation on social media platforms.

— It worries me since you can’t trust everything on the internet.

Have you checked our updates on the latest restrictions? Click here to find out more.

Advice from the NPIH

Indeed, when it comes to getting news from social media, misinformation has been a huge factor internationally. The Pew Research Center reported that 71% of Americans have heard of a conspiracy theory that the coronavirus outbreak was planned. Fortunately, the situation is not nearly as dire this side of the pond.

– Misinformation through social media in Norway is so far not comparable to that of several other countries. We are following this closely though. The vaccine acceptance is high in Norway, which may prevent the misinformation from getting a solid foothold on larger groups in society.

Says Christina Rolfheim-Bye, the Communication Director for the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), talking to Universitas.

– Several of the larger platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google approached us early in the pandemic to cooperate in guiding people towards sources of correct information such as our website, Helsenorge.no or the WHO’s website. We have reason to believe that many people in Norway know where to find correct and reliable information.

However, reaching out to internationals is not without its own unique challenges. Rolfheim-Bye describes a difficulty in communicating across cultures.

– The Norwegian legislation regulating infection control states that measures should first and foremost be voluntary. This means that through a severe crisis situation, the wording of the measures that are communicated are characterized by phrases such as «ought to» instead of «must», explains Rolfheim-Bye.

— We are aware that this may seem odd and more restrained than what other people from many other cultural backgrounds expect from the authorities in such a situation. And yet, the legislation being as it is, the wiggle room for communication and cultural translation is not large.

National and Local Guidelines

Concerning the difficulties facing students like Arstan regarding differences in national and local guidelines, the NIPH expresses understanding but maintains that this is currently the best solution.

– We are aware of this challenge and have not yet succeeded in finding the best way to make the variety of national and local measures available for everyone in a perfect way.

– There are communities and towns in Norway with no or next to no people with the coronavirus. And there are cities and communities in which a large number of people are testing positive. The differences call for different measures.

Rolfheim-Bye emphasizes that there is no «one size fits all» solution to the pandemic and having things this way ensures that measures are best suited for local situations.

Regarding resources that are available for international students, Rolfheim-Bye recommends the NIPH’s official website as well as HelseNorge. Both have in-depth information available in English.