44.1 Overall Score (down 27.8 since Aug 1st.)

Norway

  • 16.2 Public Health
    Directives
  • 11.4 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 16.2 Public Health
    Directives
  • 11.4 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication

Norway scores just below the median, pulled down by its weak public health and financial response scores, despite a strong reliance on facts and a free press.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Norway ranked near the top in most categories in pre-pandemic preparedness, except for hospital beds.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 40%
  • GDP/capita $79,638
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 27
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 2
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 90.5
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 27.7

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Mar 15.)
16.2

Public Health Directives

Norway’s low public health policy score was negatively impacted by its lack of a lockdown, and limited testing policy and contact tracing.

  • Stay at home order 1
  • Public gathering restrictions 4
  • School closings 1
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 2
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $5.12
  • Travel restrictions 3
  • Tests/1,000 people 783.7
  • Contact tracing 2
11.4

Financial Response

Norway scored extremely low for its financial response, due to a lack of debt support and a limited stimulus package.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 5.5%
  • Income support 2
  • Debt forebearance 0
100

Fact-Based Communication

Norway’s government is very strong in this category, as it has not engaged in misinformation or limited press freedom in response to COVID-19.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 0
  • Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Mar 15

Norway performs strongly in this category, with a very low death rate, low case rate, and low positivity score, which could be influenced by its strong pre-pandemic capacity, but it is likely negatively impacted by its poor public health policies during the pandemic.

  • Total deaths 791
  • Death rate per 100K 145.9
  • Total cases 81,305
  • Cases per 100K 1
  • Percent of positive tests 2.9
  • Change in positivity rates -0.8
Case Trend Line
Daily cases Level 1 Lockdown
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 May 07 Cinemas are allowed to reopen 7.01
2 May 11 Schools reopen (except for colleges and universities) 4.98
3 Jun 01 Bars reopen 1.11
4 Jun 15 Universities reopen 2.95
5 Oct 31 Limit 5 guests from outside the house; cap public events at 50 people; mandate quarantine for business travelers from at-risk countries 49.62
6 Jan 04 Implemented new restrictions, including nationwide ban on serving alcohol in restaurants and bars, not inviting guests home, universities shut down, and mandatory tests for all travelers from abroaded 97.58

Differentiating Factors

  • Government investigates deaths after patients receive vaccines: Doctors are investigating the deaths of 29 elderly patients who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, exploring the possibility that adverse reactions to the shot may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some frail patients. Read More
  • Restrictions reimposed on schools and kindergartens: The government introduced new restrictions on schools and kindergartens to stem increasing COVID-19 infection numbers in Oslo. The measures will stay in place until Easter, including the closure of indoor leisure activities. Read More
  • Healthcare workers exempt from quarantine: Healthcare personnel who have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and have critical functions are exempt from entering quarantine. Read More
  • Norway temporarily suspends AstraZeneca vaccines: The government is temporarily suspending the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shots after reports of the formation of blood clots in some who have been vaccinated. The move comes after similar investigations into vaccine-related deaths were launched in other European countries. Read More
  • Norway analyzes COVID-19's impact on other infections: While COVID-19-related control measures have led to reduced risk of infection of other diseases, there has also been a decrease in performance in the monitoring of other diseases, particularly foodborne and waterborne infections. Read More
  • Restrictions aim to stop third COVID-19 wave: Norway imposed new restrictions in early January to try to stave off a third wave of COVID-19, including limits on alcohol sales, guests visiting homes, shutting down universities, and mandating COVID-19 tests for all travelers. Read More
  • Sovereign wealth funded response: Norway withdrew an unprecedented $37 billion from its wealth fund to support its emergency response to COVID-19, more than four times any previous amount. The move demonstrated the scale of economic damage inflicted by both the pandemic and the slump in oil prices. Norway is western Europe's biggest crude oil exporter. Read More
Compared with Other Nordic States
  • 79.1
    Finland 67,334
    Cases     4
    Per 1M     687
    Deaths

    Clear, fact-based communications, a generous stimulus package, and substantial improvements in public health policy in the past few months have been instrumental factors in Finland's strong and much-improved COVID-19 response.

  • 60.8
    Sweden 712,527
    Cases     20
    Per 1M     3,938
    Deaths

    Despite being known for a relatively strong public healthcare system, Sweden has been hit hard with cases; the country’s lack of stay-at-home orders and school closures, limited testing, and few gathering restrictions overshadowed its financial support, reliance on facts, and accountability with an open press.

  • 93.7
    Iceland 6,083
    Cases     0
    Per 1M     3
    Deaths

    Iceland has a very strong score, owing heavily to its reliance on facts as well as generous debt and income support; its large improvement since January was keyed by significant improvements in public health policy and financial support.

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New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million