Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Norwegian government to hold a press conference on reopening

Norway's government will hold a press conference on Friday on the Covid-19 situation and on the further reopening of society.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Education Minister Guri Melby and Minister for Families Ingolf Ropstad will be present.

In addition to this, Health Minister Bent Høie, Norway's Director of Health Bjørn Guldvog and the Director of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Camilla Stoltenberg, will also be present.

Previously the health minister and PM have said the plan was to lift more restrictions and open more of Norwegian society in the second half of May.

READ MORE: 'Step by Step: Norway unviels four-step plan for lifting Covid-19 restrictions 

Step two would potentially see more guests being allowed in homes, loosening of entry requirements and the resumption of grassroots sport.

We’ll have the full details covered in an article later today.

Norway increases aid to Gaza

Norway is increasing its humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip by 30 million kroner.

“It’s due to the precarious situation,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide told state broadcaster NRK.

The 30 million will be on top of the existing 71 million kroner Norway has already pledged in humanitarian support.

READ MORE: Norway fund dumps firms linked to West Bank settlements 

The money will be used to procure food, shelter and medical treatment and will be distributed between UN organisations and international and Norwegian aid organisations.

Oslo press conference on lifting measures on Friday

Oslo city council will hold a press conference at 1:30 pm on Friday.

Executive Mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen, is expected to announce restaurants reopening in the Norwegian capital on Friday.

The capital has adopted a phased approach to the second part of its five-step reopening plan, and it is expected that restaurants will be allowed to reopen, with strict measures in place, around May 27th.

We’ll have all the details covered for you in an article later today.

13,000 reports of suspected side effects of Covid-19 vaccines

The Norwegian Medicines Agency had received 13.365 reports of suspected side effects to coronavirus vaccines.

Over 1,000 of the side effects have been classified as severe.

So far, 9,000 of the reports have been processed. Of these, 1,115 are classified as serious, and 8,060 were not classified as not serious.

The medical agency said that the reports of side effects provide no basis for changing the current recommendation for the vaccines currently in use, Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna.

505 new coronavirus cases registered in Norway

On Thursday, 505 new cases of coronavirus were registered in Norway. This is a rise of 177 compared to the seven-day average, which is 328.

This is also a rise of 28 on the day before.

In Oslo, 109 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Norway’s capital.

This is an increase of 44 cases on the seven day average of 65.

Total number of Covid-19 cases in Norway. Source: NIPH