.
The government will be more active in using mass tests to reopen society. Priority will be given to children and adolescents in areas with high infection rates. The Health Authority (Helsedirektoratet) will be responsible for a national mass testing system that will ensure resource efficiency and proper
coordination.
- There is still too much infection in Norway.
Mass testing can be an important tool to gain infection control and re-open Norway faster. We are currently creating a national mass test system. The first priority is children and adolescents living in areas with high infection rates, said Minister of Health and Welfare Bent Høie.
Also read: Health insurance in Norway
Office for health and Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet). They believe that regular mass testing of selected groups, followed by isolation and monitoring the spread of infections in case of positive ones
results will reduce the number of infections. Mass tests can be used, inter alia, to keep schools, colleges and universities open, while maintaining the sanitary regime.
. – Children and young people first
Mass tests involving the systematic testing of a group of people. Without individual assessments for suspected infection or disease, they are already used in many countries. There are many pilot mass testing programs in Norway, including at schools and universities in Oslo and Bergen. The national system consists of three phases. Priority is given to children, adolescents and students, as well as employees and parents in primary schools and kindergartens. Phase 1 covers districts and municipalities with a high infection rate, corresponding to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) 5 risk level. Phase 2 covers the districts and municipalities at FHI risk level 4. The details of Phase 3 will be clarified at a later date.
- In order to ensure the efficient use of scarce resources, such as testing equipment, and good coordination, the responsibility for steering this work is entrusted to the Health Authority. Among other things, the Authority will decide when mass testing should be carried out, provide sufficient test materials and ensure proper dialogue with municipalities, said Høie.
They will be voluntary
Mass tests are to be voluntary, both for municipalities and for individual
people. In the case of children, they will be performed based on the consent of their parents
