The COVID-19 pandemic in Norway: The dominance of social implications in framing the policy response

Ursin, Gøril; Skjesol, Ingunn; Tritter, Jonathan

OBJECTIVES: To describe the impact and policy response to the COVID-19 Pandemic on Norway and the implications this has for future policy development and Norwegian society. METHODS: Documentary analysis of publicly available statistics, government documents and media sources. RESULTS: : Three different agendas motivated Norwegian policy: stemming the spread of the virus domestically, mitigating the impact on the economy and addressing the social costs of the policy response. CONCLUSIONS: The oil and gas industry and the Sovereign Wealth Fund have permitted Norway to manage the costs of the pandemic. But may also lead to a shift in government priorities in health, social and economic policy.