Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Find out what’s going on in Norway on Monday with The Local’s short roundup of important news.
Norway added to UK green travel list
Norway was added to the UK’s green travel list in the early hours of Sunday morning, meaning arrivals into England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will no longer have to quarantine on arrival.
Previously, Norway was on the amber list, meaning a ten-day quarantine period and testing on days two and eight after arrival.
Travellers from Norway will still be obliged to test before arrival, book a test for day two and fill out the passenger locator form.
Travel between the two countries is set to become even easier later this week as Norway is set to begin accepting the NHS Covid app as proof of vaccination.
Arrivals fully vaccinated in England and Wales will be subject to the same rules as EU vaccine pass holders meaning quarantine-free entry, regardless of the reason for travel, for jabbed passengers.
More details will be announced later this week.
TRAVEL: Norway to accept Covid passes from England and Wales
Norway unlikely to offer third Covid-19 vaccine dose
A third booster shot of a coronavirus jab is unlikely to be offered for the foreseeable future in Norway, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has said.
“As far as we know, there is no knowledge base for offering a third dose for the general population. The general picture is that immunity after two doses of mRNA vaccines remains stable,” Infection Control Director at the NIPH, Geir Bukholm, told newspaper VG.
Several countries, including neighbours Sweden and Germany and France, have said they will offer a third dose to boost protection for the old and vulnerable.
READ ALSO: What do I need to know about my Covid-19 vaccine appointment in Norway?
Norway will investigate offering a third dose to immunosuppressed people but does not think it will be worthwhile to offer elderly people a third jab.
Bukholm said that there was currently no data suggesting that the elderly would benefit from a booster shot or that a third dose would offer any additional protection against the Delta variant.
Seven percent of people who test positive for coronavirus are fully vaccinated
In the past two weeks, 7.1 percent of all people to test positive for Covid-19 were fully vaccinated.
The assistant director of health at the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Espen Nakstad, has said that this is expected.
“This is about expected as the mRNA vaccines are around 95 percent effective in preventing Covid-19,” Espen Nakstad told state broadcaster NRK.
The number of people expected to test positive for the virus after being fully jabbed is also likely to increase in the future, according to Are Stuwitz Berg, a senior doctor with the NIPH. However, this is nothing to be worried about.
Berg said that more fully vaccinated people testing positive for the virus is a natural consequence of high vaccine coverage.
370 new Covid-19 infections in Norway
On Sunday, 370 new cases of coronavirus were registered in Norway. This is 23 fewer than the average for the previous seven days.
In Oslo, 72 Covid-19 infections were recorded, eight fewer than the day before.
Infections tend to be lower on weekends as fewer samples are processed and fewer people get tested.
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Norway added to UK green travel list
Norway was added to the UK’s green travel list in the early hours of Sunday morning, meaning arrivals into England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will no longer have to quarantine on arrival.
Previously, Norway was on the amber list, meaning a ten-day quarantine period and testing on days two and eight after arrival.
Travellers from Norway will still be obliged to test before arrival, book a test for day two and fill out the passenger locator form.
Travel between the two countries is set to become even easier later this week as Norway is set to begin accepting the NHS Covid app as proof of vaccination.
Arrivals fully vaccinated in England and Wales will be subject to the same rules as EU vaccine pass holders meaning quarantine-free entry, regardless of the reason for travel, for jabbed passengers.
More details will be announced later this week.
TRAVEL: Norway to accept Covid passes from England and Wales
Norway unlikely to offer third Covid-19 vaccine dose
A third booster shot of a coronavirus jab is unlikely to be offered for the foreseeable future in Norway, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has said.
“As far as we know, there is no knowledge base for offering a third dose for the general population. The general picture is that immunity after two doses of mRNA vaccines remains stable,” Infection Control Director at the NIPH, Geir Bukholm, told newspaper VG.
Several countries, including neighbours Sweden and Germany and France, have said they will offer a third dose to boost protection for the old and vulnerable.
READ ALSO: What do I need to know about my Covid-19 vaccine appointment in Norway?
Norway will investigate offering a third dose to immunosuppressed people but does not think it will be worthwhile to offer elderly people a third jab.
Bukholm said that there was currently no data suggesting that the elderly would benefit from a booster shot or that a third dose would offer any additional protection against the Delta variant.
Seven percent of people who test positive for coronavirus are fully vaccinated
In the past two weeks, 7.1 percent of all people to test positive for Covid-19 were fully vaccinated.
The assistant director of health at the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Espen Nakstad, has said that this is expected.
“This is about expected as the mRNA vaccines are around 95 percent effective in preventing Covid-19,” Espen Nakstad told state broadcaster NRK.
The number of people expected to test positive for the virus after being fully jabbed is also likely to increase in the future, according to Are Stuwitz Berg, a senior doctor with the NIPH. However, this is nothing to be worried about.
Berg said that more fully vaccinated people testing positive for the virus is a natural consequence of high vaccine coverage.
370 new Covid-19 infections in Norway
On Sunday, 370 new cases of coronavirus were registered in Norway. This is 23 fewer than the average for the previous seven days.
In Oslo, 72 Covid-19 infections were recorded, eight fewer than the day before.
Infections tend to be lower on weekends as fewer samples are processed and fewer people get tested.
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