Travelers from Romania are no longer allowed to enter Norway without a COVID-19 test as the country has been included in the red category.

According to the Norwegian Ministry of Health’s press release, the decision will come into force on Monday 17 January. Currently, no country in the world is green, orange or safe for travel to and from Norway. SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

“Children and young people under the age of 18 are exempt from entry quarantine, regardless of their origin. The entry quarantine can also be shortened for all travelers with a negative PCR test no earlier than three days after arrival.

In addition, all quarantined arrivals, which currently includes all unvaccinated travelers in the red and crimson categories, must be in entry quarantine for ten days upon arrival in Norway. The quarantine can be shortened if a negative PCR test is carried out no earlier than three days after entry.

The new rules for travelers coming to Norway are imposed based on the list published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) confirming that positive cases of COVID-19 have been steadily increasing in most EU Member States, particularly Romania.

Although entry requirements for Norway have not been lifted or eased, The government has changed the national regulations Kindergartens and elementary schools are no longer limited to the number of children allowed in the same room. In addition, children and young people can now pursue outdoor activities without restrictions.

In addition, adults can visit restaurants and other leisure facilities until 11 p.m.

“We are now in a new phase of the pandemic. We know that Omicron causes less serious illness and reduces the likelihood of hospitalization. At the same time, we are relaxing quarantine rules and asking municipalities to prioritize resources where the spread of infection is greatest,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

This means that the competent authorities of each municipality can adopt new rules and, if necessary, tighten the existing ones.

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Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that Norway has reported 39,254 COVID-19 cases in the past seven days, bringing the total number of cases registered since the start of the pandemic to 460,530.