Mass brawls reported as Norwagian pandamic restictions end

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Dozens of violent disturbances took place in Norway on Sunday amid celebrations that followed the government's abrupt removal of all COVID-19 restrictions.

On Friday, Norway announced that all restrictions from the pandemic would be lifted as of Saturday. As people gathered in the streets to celebrate, at least 50 fights or disturbances broke out throughout the evening, according to The Associated Press.

Norwegian media said police were called to respond to various incidents, including a man with a machete on a bus in Oslo, the AP reported.

Outgoing Prime Minister Erna Solberg's announcement lifting restrictions was largely unexpected.

The AP noted that over 76 percent of Norwegians have received at least one vaccine dose, and nearly 70 percent have received both doses.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH/FHI) told Newsweek these claims are not true. It appears that the claims were sparked by comments made by Geir Bukholm, assistant director of the NIPH, in an interview with Norwegian media outlet VG.

In it, VG reported, translated from Norwegian: "We are now in a new phase where we must look at the coronavirus as one of several respiratory diseases with seasonal variation, says assistant director Geir Bukholm in FHI to VG."

Another part of the report read: "The coronavirus thus joins the ranks of other respiratory diseases such as colds and seasonal flu."

Newsweek contacted the NIPH for clarification over exactly what this means.

A representative for the health body said: "It is not correct that the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has claimed that 'COVID-19 is no more dangerous than ordinary flu.' This statement is probably a misinterpretation of this interview in [VG].

"Our position, as stated in the news article, is that at this point in the pandemic we must start approaching COVID-19 as one of several respiratory diseases circulating with seasonal variation.

"This means that the control measures that will be applicable for various respiratory diseases will require the same level of societal preparedness. This does not mean that illness from coronavirus and the seasonal flu are similar."