Sweden Bans Entry From Norway for Non-Essential Purposes

The Swedish Government has agreed to include Norway, following the spread of the latest COVID-19 strain in areas of Norway, in its entry ban previously placed on non-essential travel from and to Denmark.

The decision has been taken by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which through a press release points out that the ban has been effective since January 25, and will remain so until February 14. Through the same decision is also extended the entry ban on arrivals from Denmark, the United Kingdom and South Africa.

“The Norwegian health authorities suspect a major outbreak in the Oslo area of the mutated variant of the COVID-19 virus that was previously reported in the United Kingdom,” the press release notes,

It further explains that the Swedish Public Health Agency of Sweden’s suspects that the outbreak in Norway in combination with extensive lockdown measures may risk a massive influx of people to the Swedish side of the border.

Exempt from the ban will remain the same categories that have also been exempt from the ban previously imposed on arrivals from Denmark.

Commenting on the decision, the Swedish Minister for Home Affairs Mikael Damberg said that the Government is closely monitoring the developments with the mutated virus variant and remains in continuous contact with the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

“The reason for these strong measures is to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and more people in our society falling ill,” the Minister also explained.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has also reimposed the advice against unnecessary travel to Norway.

Those who have been in Norway in the last 14 days before reaching Sweden, and who are eligible to enter still under the applicable exemptions, will be subject to testing upon arrival and self-isolation at home for a minimum of seven days. Through this period, they must avoid contact with other people as much as possible.

A second test must be taken after five days in self-isolation; those who result negative can leave quarantine earlier.

At the same time, since January 26, the Ministry has extended the advice against all non-essential travel to all countries outside the EU/EEA/Schengen area, at least until April 15, 2021, due to the extensive spread of the COVID-19 virus and its impact on the conditions for international travel.

Since the first COVID-19 case was detected in Sweden, the number of people who have been infected with the virus is 556,289, with 11,247 deaths and 4,916,367 tests performed in total.