The Norwegian government has decided to strengthen its border controls by reintroducing a testing requirement and forcing all arrivals to register, including Norwegian citizens.
Norway’s new minister of health Ingvild Kjerkol said the tighter rules are required because of the increasing infection situation. They will apply from Friday, November 26.
"We are reintroducing the obligation to test before entry. The duty applies to everyone, no matter where you travel from, unless you can document that you have been fully vaccinated or have had Covid-19 in the past year," said Kjerkol at a press conference.
From November 16-18, more than 2,400 positive test results were recorded each day. These are the highest daily totals in Norway since the pandemic began. 70.22% of Norwegians are fully vaccinated. Norway’s hospital capacity is also coming under pressure with the highest number of hospitalized Covid cases since April.
What’s changed in Norway?
Norway’s travel restrictions defining who can enter Norway have not changed. The border is still open to most European citizens and residents of purple countries. The mandatory quarantine period remains in place for arrivals from high-risk areas, although the EU Covid certificate can be used to bypass that in most cases.
From November 26, all arrivals to Norway will be required to register online, to better enable authorities to follow-up in the case of an infection outbreak. This requirement applies to everyone, including citizens and residents of Norway.
The government is also reintroducing the testing requirement for all adults who are not fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 in the last year.
Tests can be taken at all points of arrival such as airports, or within the 24 hours prior to arrival in Norway. This applies regardless of country of departure. Previously there had been exceptions for arrivals from European countries with a low risk of infection.
Covid certificates within Norway
The government stopped short of a new national mandate for the use of face masks. However, they have allowed municipalities who wish to do so the option to introduce Covid certificate requirements in public places such as restaurants on a local basis. Some cities including Tromsø have been calling for the use of Covid certificates for several weeks, while other remain skeptical.
The minister also encouraged people to be more guarded in their behaviour as infections rise nationwide: "Many of us have started shaking hands again. Now I want to encourage everyone to drop the handshake. It costs us little, but will prevent the spread."
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November 19, 2021 at 06:13PM
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