– We are now changing the rules regarding quarantine hotels. We remove the distinction between necessary and unnecessary travel when entering Norway, or rather, we will look at the infection pressure in individual countries. This means travelers from the UK and EEA/Schengen countries with low levels of infection are also avoiding quarantine hotels. People who have been in high infection areas must stay in quarantine hotels in the future. This also applies if the trip was a necessary business trip. As soon as we have a document ready that is digital, safe to verify, protected persons, including those who received the first dose of the vaccine more than three weeks ago, will no longer be staying in quarantine hotels . This is the Minister of Justice and Crisis Management speaking. Monica Mæland (H).

The following groups will be staying in the quarantine hotels from Thursday May 27.05.2021, XNUMX:

  • People traveling outside of Europe must generally stay in quarantine hotels throughout the quarantine period, until they test fail after seven days at the earliest.
  • Travelers from European countries who have had fewer than 150 new infections per 100 in the last 000 days and up to 14 percent tested positive do not need to stay in quarantine hotels. They must quarantine at home or another suitable quarantine facility.
  • UK and EEA / Schengen travelers with more than 150 infected per 100 people must stay in quarantine hotels until they test negative at the earliest three days. They must complete their quarantine at home or other suitable quarantine facility and may be released from quarantine at the earliest seven days.
  • Travelers from European countries with particularly high infection rates must stay in quarantine hotels until they test negative at the earliest seven days. More information about this group will follow later.

. Exceptions

Exceptions for strong welfare reasons will continue. The government will put in place an exemption system for this group which means you can apply for an exemption from quarantine hotels and get a decision before you get to the border.

Exceptions also apply to seafarers who have been in non-EEA/Schengen countries Great Britain and who must enlist in Norway. Seafarers must continue to quarantine in hotels when they return home, but can complete quarantine before boarding the ship. These changes are effective from today, May 21.

Athletes

Top Olympic or Paralympic qualifying athletes and necessary support staff receive entry quarantine changes and exemptions from quarantine hotels following a stay abroad to compete in preparation and qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They must be quarantined until they tested negative on day three at the earliest after their return.

- The strict measures at our borders have taken effect.

Import infection has decreased, but the infection situation in the world around us is still complex and serious in many places. We need to continue the strict restrictions on foreigners' access to Norway, but now we are giving exceptions to those who live in countries where the infection is so low that we do not have quarantine requirements, says Justice and Crisis Management Minister Monica Mæland.

It is open to entry to foreigners living in non-quarantined countries / areas ("yellow earth") in Norway. This currently applies to Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and parts of Finland, but that will change as more countries vaccinate the population and the number of infections decreases. This exception also applies on May 27. The UK will be included in this program and will therefore be assessed against the same criteria as the EEA / Schengen countries.

The reassessment of entry restrictions will be carried out in conjunction with step 3 of the re-opening plan. Subsequently, inter alia, a further allowance will be considered for business travelers, family, friends and foreign students and pupils.

The Norwegian Directorate of Health and NIPH have recently issued comprehensive recommendations on how to enter Norway until everyone over the age of 18 is offered a vaccine. One advice is that we will have a three-day entry quarantine for vaccinated people during this period, and that we will extend global travel advice until the end of July. The government has not yet taken a position on these proposals. We believe there is reason to question whether it is too harsh. Therefore, new tasks have been assigned to evaluate this.

- When we receive new professional advice, we will consider a complete abolition entry quarantine for people who are protected by a vaccine or have immunity as a result of the coronavirus. However, this will require that we have a verifiable certificate first. This is Minister of Health and Welfare, Bent Høie, speaking.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extends its global travel council until July 1. There is still a significant risk that traveling abroad could lead to more infections and imports of new virus variants that will make it difficult to reopen here at home.

- The government's phasing-in plan is under way, but health authorities recommend avoiding travel abroad until most of the Norwegian population has been vaccinated. Therefore, we are extending the Global Travel Council until July 1. We do not want the travel council to be longer than necessary, but in the current situation it is most predictable to plan a Norwegian holiday this summer, says Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide.