OSLO (Reuters) – The Norwegian authorities will partly reverse a ban on serving alcohol in bars and eating places, one in every of a number of coverage modifications because it seeks to calm down COVID-19 restrictions, the prime minister stated on Thursday.
“We can ease some restrictions, however not all,” Jonas Gahr Stoere advised a information convention.
Bars and eating places will likely be ready to serve alcoholic drinks till 11 p.m. native time (2200 GMT), a partial reversal the full ban launched in December which has hit the Nordic nation’s hospitality business onerous.
An outbreak of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in late November was traced again to a brilliant spreader occasion https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/omicron-outbreak-norway-christmas-party-is-biggest-outside-s-africa-authorities-2021-12-03 at a restaurant in central Oslo, which led the Norwegian authorities to reintroduce some nationwide restrictions https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-tighten-covid-restrictions-pm-says-2021-12-13 to curb the unfold.
But whereas the variety of hospitalisations rose within the Nordic nation final month following a surge of COVID-19 infections, it has now fallen for a number of weeks whilst extra individuals examined constructive for the virus.
Children will face fewer restrictions, making it simpler to keep away from residence education. Youth sports activities actions may also be allowed to resume, though grownup sports activities will nonetheless be restricted, the federal government stated.
Quarantines will in lots of instances get replaced by a compulsory check regime, it added.
(Reporting by Victoria Klesty, enhancing by Terje Solsvik)
