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

Government press conference 

Today at 12:30pm, the government will hold a press conference in regards to the coronavirus. 

It has yet to be confirmed, but the press has speculated that the government will announce when the final Covid-19 measures in Norway could be lifted. 

According to broadcaster TV2, the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) have submitted their recommendations to the government. 

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Director of Health at the Norwegian Directorate of Health Bjørn Guldvog told the broadcaster that the two health authorities were in agreement in their assessments. 

Earlier this week, public broadcaster NRK reported that health minister Bent Høie had told the municipalities in Norway that they could prepare for the lifting of measures. 

Prime minister Erna Solberg and ministers Guri Melby, Bent Høie and Monica Mæland will attend the press conference.

Speeding fines in Norway down 

So far this year, just over 40,00 fines for speeding have been dished out in Norway. 

Last year, 65,000 fines were handed out for speeding. However, that figure is 5,000 lower than the year before, with drivers set to keep this year's total amount well below last year's numbers. 

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"It turns out in general that people are better at keeping the speed limit now. There are more and more people who stick to the legal limit," Vivi-Ann Haukas from the traffic police told radio station P4. 

So far, 127 million kroner of speeding tickets have been paid. 

Covid-19 has strengthened inequality in Norway 

While the majority have seen their financial situation improve as society has reopened, the problems for those with money worries have only gotten worse, a study has revealed.

The study from the Consumer Research Institute at SIFO Oslo Met found that after 16 months of Covid-19 in Norway, 65 percent of households are considered financially secure, 17.5 are exposed to problems, and 7.5 have problems. 

Nearly one-fifth said that their finances improved throughout the pandemic. However, the same amount also suffered a loss of income due to Covid-19, with at least one person from these households being laid-off, unemployed or losing earnings due to the pandemic between March 2020 and June 2021. 

721 new Covid-19 cases 

On Thursday, 721 new Covid-19 infections were registered in Norway. This is 16 cases less than the average for the previous seven days, which is 737. 

Total number of Covid-19 cases in Norway. Source: Norwegian Institute of Public Health.