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Norway extends recommendation against international travel until March

The Local Norway
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Norway extends recommendation against international travel until March
Photo: Alan Wilson/ Flickr

The Norwegian government has extended the recommendation against international travel until March 1st.

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The only exception are essential trips, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release on Tuesday.

The advice is also expected to be further extended after March 1st given the ongoing pandemic throughout Europe and around the globe.

“People should expect travel restrictions also during Easter,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide. “People should not start planning international trips this Easter.”

Norway first advised against international travel from May 15th last year in order to avoid transmission of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Travel restrictions to most EU and EEA countries were lifted on July 15th.

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Due to rising rates of infection rates in in Norway and abroad, however, the government in August decided to again advise against all international travel.

The Norwegian Institute for Public Health (NIPH) regularly updates its list of EU and EEA area countries which meet and do not meet the country's criteria for safe travel, and advises the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make its travel recommendations on this basis.

Once a country is classed as "yellow" or "red", the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel that is not strictly necessary to that country. A 10-day quarantine period is also required for travellers returning or arriving from "red" countries.

All countries are currently classed as "red", except for a few regions in Finland, which are "yellow".

Mandatory testing for people arriving to Norway from "red" countries was also introduced on January 2nd. The test should be done as soon as possible, and no less than 24 hours after arrival.

The Local reported how thousands of travellers arriving at Oslo airport since then have avoided the mandatory testing.

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