In agreement with the chief infection control official, the city council is now introducing local legislation. That is, the same quarantine regulations as in the surrounding municipalities for household members and close contacts.
- The City Council will decide today to regulate the same local quarantine rules that apply in our local municipalities. At the same time, exceptions are made to the quarantine obligation for socially critical personnel, says city councilor Roger Valhammer.
- When the City Council decided today to regulate the quarantine obligation for household members and related close contacts. As a result, I will change the practice of assessing potential omicron cases, says chief infection control specialist Marit Voltersvik.
As announced yesterday, the local infection control authority has stated that all new cases of infection in Bergen should be treated as omicron cases. All taking into consideration related to this regulations regarding isolation and quarantine. This is based on the legal basis in national Covid-19 legislation. However, the assessment of suspected omicron infection is at the discretion of the chief infection control officer.
It has been questioned whether the national legislation on Covid 19 gives a superior power to infection control
- In retrospect, it has been questioned whether the national legislation on Covid 19 gives the supreme authority on infection control to generally consider all contamination as omicron contamination. Therefore, the city council now decides, in consultation with the chief infection control officer, to introduce local legislation. They clarify which rules will apply to the municipality of Bergen, says city councilor Roger Valhammer.
- There are two different isolation and quarantine regimes in national legislation. The regime that applies in the event of suspected omicron cases will continue to apply in Bergen. However, it will not be the case that all cases of infection will be considered an omicron. Where there is no suspicion of a omicron, Bergen will have stricter rules compared to national rules. This means that household members and similar relatives, regardless of vaccine status, must quarantine in accordance with local regulations, says Beate Husa, City Councilor for Elderly, Health and Volunteering.
- The infection situation in Bergen is demanding and stricter quarantine rules than those stipulated in national legislation are needed. We have a record high infection rate. It is also uncertain to what extent the omicron variant has spread to Bergen and the region, says Trond Egil Hansen, chief city physician.
The city council therefore decided that Bergen would comply with the regulations adopted in some of the surrounding municipalities.
The quarantine obligation applies to the household and close contacts of someone who is isolated as a result of Covid-19 infection.
Members of the household household and close contacts of the person with proven Covid-19 must be quarantined for ten days from last contact with an infected person. If a household member cannot live in complete isolation from an infected person, they must be quarantined. It will last as long as the infected person remains isolated and for the next seven days. Quarantine applies to all ages, regardless of vaccine status and Covid-19 infection.
Quarantined people must have a PCR test as soon as possible and on the seventh day after close contact. If the test is negative on the seventh day after close contact, the quarantine may be terminated.
Critical medical personnel health service and care, as well as other socially important personnel, may in special cases be deprived of quarantine. But only during working hours, after individual assessment and agreement with the employer.
The employee must have a negative quick test daily prior to coming to work in addition to performing the remainder of the test procedure. Infection control equipment should also be used at work.
Source: Municipality of Bergen
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