After the discovery of the Omicron variant in South Africa and Botswana at the end of November, the Norwegian government introduced new special travel restrictions to people coming from these and other six southern African countries.
Apart from South Africa and Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini were affected by the new rules dictated by the Ministry of Health and Care Services.
Now, from 22 December 2021 at midnight, the ban on direct flights from southern African countries and Norway will be removed. Travel quarantine will also stop being a requirement for vaccinated people coming from these countries.
However, the entry registration requirement will continue. Travelers will also have to take a COVID-19 diagnostic test upon arrival in Norway. If they’re not fully vaccinated or can’t present a verifiable certificate for vaccination or recovery status, they must take a COVID-19 diagnostic test before departure and bring the negative result along with them.
People with no verifiable certificates will have to stay in quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Norway.
Removal of travel restrictions
Travel restrictions for people coming from Eswatini, South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi were introduced as a preventive measure to slow down the spread of the Omicron variant in Norway and avoid the burden on the country’s health system.
The decision was taken by the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, which respond to the Ministry of Health and Care Services of Norway.
But now, the Omicron variant is present in many countries, including Norway, so that the Norwegian health authorities believe “that it is no longer expedient to keep specific measures” for these 8 southern African countries, explained Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvild Kjerkol.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has recently reported that more than half of the COVID-19 positive samples from Oslo and Viken are the Omicron variant.
Omicron is actually heavily present in Europe, where several countries have recently registered particularly high numbers of infection rates.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Omicron variant has an increased risk of reinfection because it’s believed to be able to evade the immunity obtained through vaccination. Omicron is also more transmissible because it has 32 mutations in its spike proteins, the proteins that help the virus penetrate into the human cells.
This is why the Norwegian government has also reintroduced some measures aiming at reducing social contact: 1-meter social distancing in public areas, reduced social bubbles, home office whenever possible, and the utilization of a face covering in hospitals, shops, shopping centers/malls, public transport, taxis, football stadiums, etc.
These rules are in effect in all Norwegian provinces and counties, including Svalbard Islands, from the beginning of December 2021.
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