Norwegians should avoid travelling within the Nordic country, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said, as part of a fresh round of recommendations and restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

The number of cases has risen in many parts of Norway with last week's number setting a new record in infections in a country which long had one of Europe's lowest rate of infections.

“We now see a sharp increase in the number of people testing positive. The situation is very serious, and [...] we don't have time to wait and see if the measures we introduced last week are enough,” Solberg told parliament.

Norwegians are urged to stay at home as much as possible in the coming weeks and to limit their social interactions, and bars across the country now have to close at midnight, according to Reuters.