Norway is to shut its ports and airports from Monday in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, although exemptions will be made for Norwegians returning from abroad as well as for goods, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Saturday.
“We’ve decided to shut our airports, close our ports and implement extensive controls along our border,” Solberg said.
The official number of infected persons has risen to around 950.
Earlier this week, the government announced it was suspending fees and taxes for the airline industry, and would pay all but the two first days of the salaries of employees temporarily laid off in a bid to improve companies’ liquidity.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg said at a press conference that it was “absolutely impossible to make an estimate” of how much the measures would cost the government.
“It all depends on how long this lasts, and how strong the measures we need to have,” she said. “We are put to a major test. The number of people infected is increasing rapidly, and it is affecting our everyday lives, our health care system and our economy.”
The package followed a surprise rate cut on Thursday from Norges Bank, the country’s central bank, which reduced its key interest rate to 1 percent from 1.5 percent.
