Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Friday 

Extensive drugs network between Oslo Trømso uncovered 

Nine people have been arrested, so far, in a large police operation to shut down a drugs network operating between Oslo and Trømso. 

The group are accused of having moved heroin and amphetamines between Oslo and Troms, northern Norway, since 2018. 

The police crackdown on the network has been ongoing since August 2020. 1.2 kilos of heroin and 2.5 kilos of amphetamine have been seized in the operation so far. 

Major search operation for missing woman 

A major search operation has been launched for a woman in her 70’s who is missing in Vingelen in Hedmark, central Norway. 

The woman has not been seen or heard from since she sent a message saying she was going for a walk Wednesday morning. She was reported missing on Thursday night. 

“We found her car. It was in a somewhat hilly area, and there are few cabins nearby,” Per Solberg, operations manager for police leading the search, told VG. 

Police, volunteers and rescue dogs are being used to try and find the woman; as of Friday morning, she had yet to be found.

Covid vaccine delays for people in small municipalities 

Residents in smaller municipalities may have to wait until September for their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH). 

Previously the NIPH said that everybody would be offered their first jab by the 15th of August. 

READ MORE: What do I need to know about my Covid-19 vaccine appointment in Norway 

Part of the reason for this is that more people are accepting vaccines than planned.  

Labour Party ahead in the polls 

Norway’s Labour Party are expected to receive almost double the votes of the Centre Party, according to a poll by newspaper DN. 

According to the poll, the Labour Party is expected to get 27 percent of the votes when voters head to the ballot box in September, while PM Erna Solberg’s Centre party is expected to receive just 15 percent of votes. 

“It shows that the Labour Party continues to regain trust and win new trust. We intend to continue with this. This is a good message in the lead up to the election. We can lift ourselves even higher,” Labour leader Jonas Gahr Støre said to DN. 

235 new Covid cases in Norway 

On Thursday, 235 new coronavirus cases were registered in Norway, 41 more than the seven-day average of 194. 

In Oslo, 21 new cases of infection were reported on Thursday. 

The R-number or reproduction rate in Norway is currently 0.7. This means that every ten people that are infected will, on average, only infect another seven people, indicating that the infection level is declining.

Total Covid-19 cases in Norway. Source: NIPH