Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Find out what's going on in Norway on Thursday with The Local's short roundup of important news.
Cash-strapped Nobel Institute asks for government support
The prestigious institution behind the Nobel Peace Prize has been hard hit by rising costs and funding cuts -- made worse by the expense of running its vast and old offices.
"For the past 20 years, our income has been reduced while our costs have continued to rise," Nobel Institute Director Olav Njølstad told news wire AFP.
With staff reduced from eight to five people since the 1990s, the Nobel Institute has turned to Norway's parliament for support -- raising concerns about the institution's independence.
Look out for a full article on this story on our website today.
Young people consumed alcohol less often during Covid-19 pandemic
The number of people between the ages of 16 and 24 who drink alcohol each week decreased during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Statistics Norway survey conducted in the spring.
But people in adult and older age groups drank more during that time, the study found.
Rules during some periods of lockdown and restrictions made it impossible to purchase alcohol at restaurants and bars in cities.
The overall proportion of people who said they drink alcohol weekly was almost unchanged, at 35 percent in 2021 compared to 34 percent the year before, according to the report.
Airports expect increased traffic during autumn
Airport operator Avinor says it expects the upcoming autumn school break to bring the busiest days seen this year at Norwegian airports, news wire NTB reports.
Over 60,000 travellers are expected at Oslo Airport on some days during the week, which begins on October 18th.
That remains notably lower than pre-pandemic levels, however. 2019’s busiest days saw over 100,000 passengers pass through Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport.
Health authority confirms spread of RS virus cases
Cases of RS, a contagious virus that affects the respiratory tract in children and adults, have increased to 135 registered cases in the last week compared to 36 cases the week before, according to health authority NIPH.
The virus usually causes cold-like symptoms but can give more serious respiratory infections in some cases, the health authority said.
“The increase in respiratory symptoms is being seen particularly in children and adults up to their forties, which fits well with the trend of children and their parents getting sick,” NIPH’s senior medical consultant Margrethe Greve-Isdahl said in a statement.
Look out for more details on this – and what NIPH is advising for parents – in an article on our website today.
581 new cases of Covid-19 registered
581 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Norway over the last day, according to updated figures released by NIPH this morning. 218 were registered in Oslo. The figures are broadly in keeping with weekly averages seen throughout late September.
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Cash-strapped Nobel Institute asks for government support
The prestigious institution behind the Nobel Peace Prize has been hard hit by rising costs and funding cuts -- made worse by the expense of running its vast and old offices.
"For the past 20 years, our income has been reduced while our costs have continued to rise," Nobel Institute Director Olav Njølstad told news wire AFP.
With staff reduced from eight to five people since the 1990s, the Nobel Institute has turned to Norway's parliament for support -- raising concerns about the institution's independence.
Look out for a full article on this story on our website today.
Young people consumed alcohol less often during Covid-19 pandemic
The number of people between the ages of 16 and 24 who drink alcohol each week decreased during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Statistics Norway survey conducted in the spring.
But people in adult and older age groups drank more during that time, the study found.
Rules during some periods of lockdown and restrictions made it impossible to purchase alcohol at restaurants and bars in cities.
The overall proportion of people who said they drink alcohol weekly was almost unchanged, at 35 percent in 2021 compared to 34 percent the year before, according to the report.
Airports expect increased traffic during autumn
Airport operator Avinor says it expects the upcoming autumn school break to bring the busiest days seen this year at Norwegian airports, news wire NTB reports.
Over 60,000 travellers are expected at Oslo Airport on some days during the week, which begins on October 18th.
That remains notably lower than pre-pandemic levels, however. 2019’s busiest days saw over 100,000 passengers pass through Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport.
Health authority confirms spread of RS virus cases
Cases of RS, a contagious virus that affects the respiratory tract in children and adults, have increased to 135 registered cases in the last week compared to 36 cases the week before, according to health authority NIPH.
The virus usually causes cold-like symptoms but can give more serious respiratory infections in some cases, the health authority said.
“The increase in respiratory symptoms is being seen particularly in children and adults up to their forties, which fits well with the trend of children and their parents getting sick,” NIPH’s senior medical consultant Margrethe Greve-Isdahl said in a statement.
Look out for more details on this – and what NIPH is advising for parents – in an article on our website today.
581 new cases of Covid-19 registered
581 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Norway over the last day, according to updated figures released by NIPH this morning. 218 were registered in Oslo. The figures are broadly in keeping with weekly averages seen throughout late September.
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