Helsinki, Feb 12 (AP) Norway says it is lifting almost all remaining COVID restrictions as it doesn't see a major health threat to citizens any more, even though the omicron variant is still spreading in the Nordic nation.

“This is the day we have been waiting for,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere during a news conference in Oslo on Saturday. “We are removing almost all coronavirus measures.”

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He justified the move by saying that Norwegians are well protected by vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic and the proportion of citizens who end in up in hospital has remained low despite the spread of the omicron variant.

As of Saturday, Norwegians are no longer required to wear masks in crowded places and the one-metre (3-foot) distancing rule is abolished. In addition, self-isolation requirements are lifted and replaced with a recommendation that infected adults stay at home for four days.

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In December, Norway went into partial lockdown to limit the spread of the omicron variant. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)