Norway: Authorities to increase national COVID-19 restrictions from October 26 /update 17

Event

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced on Friday, October 23, that additional nationwide measures will go into effect in the week commencing Monday, October 26, to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. Specifics are expected to be reported on Monday. The announcement follows data from the Ministry of Health and Care Services that shows the 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents has risen to 36. Most of Norway's infections have been reported in Oslo, where the wearing of face masks in public transport and other places is mandatory where social distancing cannot be maintained.  

All travelers arriving into the country from countries with more than 20 confirmed new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the previous two weeks are required to quarantine on arrival. The full list of these countries can be found here.  

As of October 23, there have been 17,234 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Norway with 279 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.