Norway delays reopening over 'fourth wave' fears

Norway on Monday decided to delay reopening efforts over fears of a "fourth wave" among the unvaccinated groups.

The government decided to push back the restrictions until the end of July and the beginning of August with the Delta variant affecting large parts of the population.

"There is a risk that the Delta variant will cause a fourth wave of infection in the unvaccinated part of the population, among those who have only received one dose or are in vulnerable groups," Prime Minister Erna Solberg said.

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However, the government has eased the lockdown allowing people to attend outdoor and indoor events if they can provide negative COVID-19 test results and proof of vaccination.

According to Norwegian health officials, 37 per cent of adults have been fully vaccinated and two-thirds of the population has received the first dose.

The country has also allowed quarantine-free travel for several European countries including France and Italy. Last month the government allowed people to receive 20 guests at home with bars and restaurantsallowed to remain open post-midnight.

The Norwegian prime minister had highlighted "uncertainty linked to mutations" while stating that the infection situation was "still unpredictable" in several parts of the world.

Meanwhile, Britain announced it was set to remove all restrictions from July 19 with British PM Johnson asserting that majority of thosehospitalisedrecently were people who weren't vaccinated.

Norway has so far recorded 130,000 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic took hold last year along with 790 fatalities.

(With inputs from Agencies)