Tension between local, regional and national levels in Norway’s handling of COVID-19
Permanent link
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/26440Date
2022-02-03Type
Journal articleTidsskriftartikkel
Peer reviewed
Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to explore the tension between local, regional, and national authorities evoked by some rural
municipalities’ decisions to impose local infection-control measures during the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in
Norway. Methods: Eight municipal Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMOs) participated in semi-structured interviews, and
six crisis management teams participated in focus-group interviews. Data were analysed with systematic text condensation.
Boin and Bynander’s interpretation of crisis management and coordination and Nesheim et al.’s framework for nonhierarchical coordination in the state sector inspired the analysis. Results: Uncertainty in the face of a pandemic with
unknown damage potential, lack of infection-control equipment, patient transport challenges, vulnerable staff situation
and planning of local COVID-19 beds were some of the reasons for rural municipalities imposing local infection-control
measures the first weeks of the pandemic. Local CMOs’ engagement, visibility and knowledge contributed to trust and
safety. Differences in perspectives between local, regional and national actors created tension. Existing roles and structures
were adjusted, and new informal networks arose. Conclusions: Strong municipal responsibility in Norway and the
quite unique arrangement with local CMOs in every municipality with the legal right to decide temporary local
infection-control measures seemed to facilitate a balance between top-down and bottom-up decision making.
Tension between rural, regional and national actors that arose due to local infection-control measures, and the
following dialogue and mutual adjustment of perspectives, led to a fruitful balance between national and local
measures in Norway’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Publisher
SAGECitation
Fosse, Svensson, Konradsen, Abelsen. Tension between local, regional and national levels in Norway’s handling of COVID-19. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 2022Metadata
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