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

Abstract

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.