In 2006, the Stoltenberg government presented a “National Contingency Plan for Pandemic Influenza.” In 2014, one year after the Solberg government came into power, Minister of Health, Bent Høie, presented his own version of the "National Contingency Plan for Pandemic Influenza."
The latest contingency plan from 2014 was based on what was then obvious: society had to be enabled to function as normal during future pandemics. Even in a situation where 2.5 million would be infected and 1,250,000 sick (p. 5), and the health service had to take care of up to 14,000-16,500 admissions, of which 1400–2800 in intensive care (p. 84).
The overall attitude to lockdown of society, consistent with the National Contingency plans, was first summarized in 2009. At that time, the Norwegian Directorate of Health tried to calm the Norwegian population and pointed out that swine flu for most people is a mild disease, while estimating that around 175,000 Norwegians could be infected.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health's spokesperson even stated publicly that: “Closing schools, public transport or borders are expensive measures that have no effect. They are in our toolbox, but are completely irrelevant. They only become an option if society is in disintegration .” (See original article: Pandemiplaner får stryk.)
Yet, the response of the Solberg government to the COVID situation has been in complete opposition to Norway’s own national contingency plans, including the latest policy in 2014 created by the same government. After only 621 cases in Norway on 12 March 2020, the Solberg government completely shut down the country and closed borders. Following advice from the World Heath Organization instead of Norway’s own previously developed and assessed contingency plan.
Erna Solberg, as co-chair of the UN's campaign for sustainability, wrote a letter to the WHO in 2018 asking them to take the lead in creating a global action plan for health and welfare for all. This in addition to the Norwegian government having given more than 10 billion kroner to vaccine alliance Gavi, which works closely with the WHO.
The question one could ask, therefore, is who is in charge of Norway? Norwegians and elected officials, or the World Health Organization? Have we lost our sovereignty as a nation? And what type of dystopian future can Norwegians expect if the most fundamental freedoms are lost, at the demand of foreign states and organization, over a virus with a survival rate higher than that of the flu, at over 99.8%?
