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Nobel Committee Scales Back Peace Prize Ceremony Due to Covid

Nobel Committee Scales Back Peace Prize Ceremony Due to Covid

The Norwegian Nobel Committee is planning to hold a dramatically pared down version of its annual award ceremony for the peace prize this year, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Dec. 10 ceremony, which marks the day that Alfred Nobel died in 1896, will be moved from Oslo City Hall to a smaller venue at the University of Oslo, Norwegian broadcaster NRK said. Only about 100 guests will be allowed to attend, compared with the roughly 1,000 that have traditionally been invited.

The committee has also canceled the traditional banquet that has always been a fixture of the ceremony, and has contingency plans in place should the laureate only be able to attend virtually.

This year’s peace prize will be announced on Oct. 9. The award, along with prizes in literature, physics and medicine, was first handed out in 1901. Last year, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won for his efforts to resolve the border dispute with neighboring Eritrea.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.