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

Significant changes to travel rules 

Norway will finish harmonising its coronavirus country classification system with the EU’s system and make significant changes to its travel rules and requirements that will open the country to more travellers from both inside and outside the EU and EEA. 

The switch will see the majority of EEA countries classified as green, meaning infections are low enough for safe entry, and Norway will also open up to some travellers from outside the EEA wishing to visit family or their significant other for the first time in over six months. 

Norway will now classify countries as green, orange, red, dark red and purple. 

The green, orange, red, and dark red classifications only apply to countries in the EU, EEA, and the UK. Some countries from the EU’s third country list will be classed as purple. Entry for travellers from outside the EU, EEA and not from a purple country will still be limited to citizens and residents, bar a few exceptions. 

READ MORE: IN DETAIL: Norway announces major Covid-19 travel rules shakeup

Arrivals from the UK no longer put into quarantine hotels 

Travellers arriving from the UK will no longer be forced into quarantine hotels due to a significant shakeup of Norway’s travel rules. 

Previously, passengers from the UK were required to spend a minimum of three days quarantined in a hotel due to concerns over the spread of the Delta variant, first identified in India, in the UK. 

The new rules mean that those travelling from Britain will be able to quarantine at home or another suitable location for a minimum of seven days. After day seven, they can test themselves out of quarantine by returning a negative PCR test. 

However, the current rule on who can enter remains in place – only residents, citizens and the close family and partners of residents and citizens can enter Norway from the UK, so no British tourists will be allowed. 

Oslo eases Covid-19 measures

From today, the Norwegian capital will drop its local coronavirus rules for the home office, serving times and big events like concerts and festivals. 

“Infection rates in Oslo continue to decline, and at the moment, there are only four patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19. This means it’s possible to remove some of the last local restrictions that are left in Oslo,” Raymond Johansen, Oslo’s executive mayor, said in a statement.

Alcohol will be able to be served past midnight, although venues can’t let any new guests in past midnight. 

The rules for big events will also mirror national rules. Up to 5,000 spectators can attend events such as concerts and football matches using Norway’s Covid-19 certificate next week. 

In addition to this, the local requirement to work from home will be lifted and replaced with the government recommendation that workplaces slowly start bringing employees back into the workplace. 

READ MORE: Oslo to lift more Covid-19 measures next week

Two hikers dead after being struck by lightning 

Two women out on a hike have died after being struck by lightning in West Norway on Sunday night, and a third woman is in hospital in a serious but stable condition. 

The hikers were out on a trip near Haried municipality in More og Romsdal when they were struck. 

According to police in West Norway, the walkers were virtually at the top of Melshornet mountain when the lightning struck. 

The ramblers next of kin have been notified. 

88 new Covid-19 infections in Norway 

On Sunday, 88 coronavirus cases were recorded in Norway, 100 less than the seven day average for the Nordic country. 

In Oslo, 16 Covid-19 infections have been registered in the past 24 hours. This is three more than the same day last week. 

The number of infections registered tends to be lower at weekends as fewer people get testes and less samples are processed. 

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 number of reported Covid-19 cases in Norway. Source: NIPH