Public Health Measures Enacted by the Norwegian Political Leadership to Protect the Elderly in Response to the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Crisis

Tokovska Miroslava, Nour Magde Mohamed, Sørensen Anette and Ferreira Vanessa Nolasco
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Tokovska Miroslava: Kristiania University College, School of Health Sciences, Departement of Health and Exercise, Prinsens gate 7-9, 0152 Oslo, Norway
Nour Magde Mohamed: Kristiania University College, School of Health Sciences, Departement of Health and Exercise, Prinsens gate 7-9, 0152 Oslo, Norway
Sørensen Anette: Kristiania University College, School of Health Sciences, Departement of Health and Exercise, Prinsens gate 7-9, 0152 Oslo, Norway
Ferreira Vanessa Nolasco: Kristiania University College, School of Health Sciences, Departement of Psychology, Pedagogy and Law, Kalfarveien 78C, 5022 Bergen, Norway

Central European Journal of Public Policy, 2023, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic crisis is ongoing, and the elderly are still affected by the virus, sometimes with fatal consequences. The political leaders are, inter alia, focussed on protecting citizens, including this vulnerable group. This article aims to describe the response of the Norwegian political leadership, with a focus on the public health measures enacted to protect the elderly during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic crisis in the years 2020 and 2021. This study has a descriptive qualitative research design using thematic-content analysis as a methodology to evaluate data collected from official documents, national statistics and public health documents from Norway. Statistics show that the elderly mortality rate per 100,000 person-weeks during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was 2.69 in Norway; during the second wave of the pandemic, it was 1.43. The public health measures the Norwegian political leadership instigated were more effective in containing the crisis when compared to other European countries, and this paper investigates the reasons. The results of our study provide public health policy decision-makers with insights into analytical material showing the usefulness of different measures enacted by the Norwegian government. The Norwegian government’s responses to the crisis, such as the public health measures, restrictions, social consequences for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, as well as cross-government and cross-community cooperation, will need further in-depth analysis.

Keywords: elderly; mortality rates; Norway; SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; political response; public health measures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:cejopp:v:17:y:2023:i:1:p:1-13:n:3

DOI: 10.2478/cejpp-2023-0001

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