Former health minister admits some pandemic restrictions on children were too harsh

Norway’s former health minister Bent Høie has acknowledged that certain coronavirus restrictions targeting children and young people went too far, he told Dagbladet in an interview published Saturday.

Høie, who served as health and care minister during the pandemic and is now the county governor of Rogaland, reflected on the measures after a Dagbladet investigation linked school closures to rising youth crime in Stavanger.

“Over time, a number of measures aimed at children and young people were introduced that should not have been,” Høie said. He noted that while the initial nationwide school shutdown had broad political support, some local restrictions later became excessively strict.

The admission follows a Dagbladet series examining a group of 13 young people in Stavanger connected to crime and substance abuse. Local prevention leaders and sports club managers suggested pandemic disruptions—particularly school closures—may have worsened vulnerabilities among at-risk youth.

Høie cautioned that Stavanger experienced less severe lockdowns than cities like Bergen or Oslo but acknowledged research showing the period exacerbated difficulties for some already struggling. “A small group with very tough upbringings, including exposure to violence and abuse, may have had their problems intensified,” he said.

He emphasized the need for earlier intervention and stronger coordination between child psychiatry, welfare services, and police to identify youth at risk. “We must make it easier to press the red button when we see a child heading in the wrong direction,” Høie said.

The interview comes as Norway evaluates its pandemic response through three separate commissions. Høie described their findings as an important source of lessons, though he did not specify which measures he now considers excessive.