Norway will start welcoming travelers from other countries without obliging them to follow strict entry rules as it seeks to ease many of the preventive measures imposed to halt the spread of the virus that have been kept in place for 561 days now.
The Nordic country’s authorities have introduced the three-phase plan through which Norway will gradually remove its entry bans that affect travelers from other countries.
Such a decision has been announced through a statement published by Norway’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security, while the same has clarified that the first phase will start to be implemented on September 25.
Recently, Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg has stressed that “now the time has come to return to a normal daily life.”
Norway has recorded a total of 185,327 COVID19 infection cases and 850 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, based on the data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, the same source reveals that a total of 718 people have tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.
Due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 and its new strains, authorities in Norway kept in place their entry restrictions, which among others, brought many difficulties to many businesses while temporarily freezing the travel process.
However, the recent decision of Norway’s authorities may help the country, especially its economic sector, recover from the damages caused by the Coronavirus situation.
In this regard, Norway’s Minister of Justice and Emergency Management, Monica Mæland (H), has stressed that the country has lived a long time with the tightened measures applied at the county’s borders.
“This has been important in combating import infections. When we now move on to a normal everyday life, the government proposes a gradual reduction of the restrictions on entry into the country. This will take place under close supervision,” the Minister pointed out.
According to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, new changes applied in the first phase that will start taking effect from September 25, include the lifting of entry restrictions for travelers from the European Economic Area, Schengen Zone, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, as well as travelers from countries included in the purple list that consists of territories that have recently reported low rates of COVID-19 infections.
“Entry will currently be permitted above the 35 approved border crossings for those who do not have special exceptions. Closed border crossings will be reopened when the border municipality has a test offer ready, and good information has been prepared for travelers,” the statement clarifies.
In addition, the entry quarantine requirement has been lifted for travelers coming from territories that pose a medium risk in terms of COVID-19 infection, known as the orange group.
Children under age 18 are also exempted from quarantine requirements, while adult travelers can terminate their mandatory quarantine by presenting a negative result of the PCR test on the third day of their arrival.
Norway’s government has also announced that the hotel quarantine rule has been removed as a requirement; however, it will serve as an option for those who do not have another suitable self-isolation location.
Fully vaccinated travelers are exempted from testing and quarantine requirements.
During phase two, the government has proposed to abolish all the restrictions imposed on travelers from countries considered safe by the EU, which are also included on the EU’s third countries list.
As for phase three, the government will decide regarding what restrictions will be applied on travelers from other territories wishing to enter Norway, as well as quarantine rules.
Norway’s Ministry of Health and Care Services recently announced that the country would lift the quarantine requirement for other EU and Schengen Zone countries, as well as several European microstates.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.