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Despite rising number of Covid-19 infections, Norway has decided to lift most restrictions from Feb. 1 onwards, Reuters reported.

The Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, said the surge of infections was unlikely to compromise health services.

According to AFP, the Omicron Covid-19 variant has caused a spike in cases in the country, but there was no increase in hospital admissions for severely ill Covid-19 patients.

Norway is currently averaging about 19,802 cases per day, and has recorded a total of 804,282 infections and 1,446 Covid-related deaths thus far, according to data from Reuters.

About 73 per cent of the country's population have been fully vaccinated against the virus, with about half having received a booster shot.

It joins other countries in removing some Covid-related restrictions, such as Denmark, France, and the UK.

Previously, Norway went into partial lockdown in December 2021, to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.

Loosening some restrictions

Speaking at a press conference, Støre said restaurants will be allowed to serve alcohol beyond 11pm and working from home will no longer be mandatory, Reuters reported.

The previous restriction on 10 visitors per household has been removed, and there will no longer be a cap on the number of people attending sports events.

The isolation period for Covid cases will also be reduced from six to four days, and contacts of Covid-19 patients will no longer be required to quarantine, although daily testing is recommended for five days.

Additionally, no testing is required for travellers entering Norway.

However, masks are still mandatory in settings where the 1-metre social distancing measure can't be maintained, such as on public transport and in shops.

Citing estimates by health authorities, Støre said the country has to plan for as many as 20 per cent of the workforce going on sick leave, and will retain some measures to prevent too many people from falling sick and being away from work at the same time, Bloomberg reported.

Norway can live with a high level of infections

The Norwegian prime minister said the country's population is "well-protected" by vaccines, and fewer people are being hospitalised despite the surge of infections, according to Reuters.

"This means that we can relax many measures even as infections are rising rapidly," Støre added.

The 61-year-old further said that the country "can live with a high level of infections", AFP reported.

The easing of restrictions is expected to lead to an even faster spread of the virus, and the government will continue to monitor the situation.

However, Støre did not rule out the possibility of tightening measures in the future.

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Top image via Tobias Bjørkli & Wikimedia Commons