Oslo goes back into lockdown – campus remains open

During the past two weeks, life in Oslo seemed almost back to normal: shops, cafés, and restaurants were open again, students could return to their favorite reading spots in libraries and reading halls, and sunny days brought first impressions of spring.

However, last weekend ended with some bad news: on a press-conference on Sunday afternoon, the City Government announced stricter infection prevention measures in Oslo, advising people to avoid social contact in the coming days and weeks. The newly imposed lockdown is due to mutated variants of the coronavirus, which spread more rapidly than previous ones: the number of people that tested positive for Covid-19 in Oslo last week was as high as in the first week in January.

— We are concerned about the infection rate in Oslo, but are also worried about the impact such a lengthy shutdown could have on people’s mental health. We must find a balance between what can remain open while keeping the virus under control. We will look at every possibility to strengthen the municipality’s activities in the area of testing, isolation, tracing and quarantine (TISK). This includes the use of rapid tests and engaging in mass testing where appropriate. In this way, we can keep control of the infection level until we have sufficient vaccines, says Oslo's Vice Mayor for health Robert Steen (Labour Party).

These new measures apply from Tuesday (2. March), for a period of 14 days, up to and including 15 March:

# All pubs, cafés and restaurants must remain closed, except for take-away service.

# All shops must remain closed, apart from those on the national list of exempt retail outlets, such as food stores, pharmacies and Vinmonopol shops.

# Galleries and art shops must remain closed.

# Organized outdoor leisure activities for adults over the age of 20 are discouraged.

# Outdoor events are prohibited, with the same exceptions as for indoor events, i.e., funeral and burial services, weddings, christenings and similar rituals, sports events, competitions and performances by professional participants without spectators, and digital events attended by no more than five people in addition to necessary production staff.

# High schools are now labelled as «red» and remain closed for the beginning of the week. From Wednesday 3. March, all high schools will provide a combination of in-person tuition and digital lessons. The City Government aims to introduced the mass testing of students (saliva tests) from 8 March, and increased testing of all teaching staff.

# To gain control of the infection rate at building sites, the City of Oslo is introducing by-laws setting out clear rules for infection prevention measures at building sites. Intentional or grossly negligent violation of the infection prevention rules at building sites will be punishable by up to six months in prison. The new rules will be further combined with enhanced and systematic testing at such sites.

# In addition, the City Government advises people to avoid private gatherings and visits to private homes, with the exception of those living on their own or children and young people in the same cohort.

# In addition to tightening up the infection prevention measures, the City Government will strengthen its testing and tracing activities with respect to children and young people as well as the population in general.

Luckily for students, [the libraries and reading halls on UiO campus remain open](2), and many students will be able to return back to in-person teaching in small groups up to 20 people starting this Monday. Moreover, SiO Health will start a three weeks long pilot project for free drop-in rapid testing of symptom-free employees and students staying on Blindern campus on Tuesday 2. March.

Det Through this pilot, the health authorities want to test employees and students who do not show any symptoms to check whether they are infected with Covid-19. Through the rapid testing, it will be possible to start infection tracking quickly, assess the need for quarantine, and avoid further spread.

All staff and students who are on campus are encouraged to take a rapid Covid-19 test once a week: if enough people take the rapid test, it can contribute to UiO and other educational institutions being allowed to stay open even if the infection numbers in general are high. There will be two test stations on Blindern campus: one for those who have symptoms of Covid-19 and therefore must be tested, and one drop-in station at Frederikkeplassen for those who do not have any symptoms.

The Covid-19 rapid test station opens on Tuesday 2 March at 10.00, with the following opening times:

# Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 15.00-22.00 (break from 18.30-19.15)

# Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 08.30-15.00 (break 11.30-12.15)