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Travel

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The government recommends people to avoid unnecessary travel within the country at the time. Stay up to date on the infection prevention rules, and the current valid guidelines from local and national authorities.

Keep in mind that updates about travel advice and guidelines, both nationally and locally, may come at short notice. This also applies to possible local outbreaks. Travelers must therefore stay up to date and take local situations into account while travelling within Norway.

The government recommends that people avoid unnecessary travelling within the country, with exceptions for necessary work and commuting, as well as travels to holiday homes where you can avoid contact with others.

For more travel advice and official information from the health authorities, go to helsenorge.no. For more detailed information about who may travel into Norway from other countries and regions, and under what quarantine conditions, see the Directorate of Immigration’s websites, udi.no. And finally, for important information from the government about new measures and advice for Norwegian travellers, go to regjeringen.no.

Travelling within Norway – infection control

The Health Directory’s and the National Institute of Public Health’s new advice for leisure travels are valid from November 5 2020 and on. Everyone has an individual responsibility for travelling in a way which doesn’t contribute to the spread of infection.

Plan any necessary travels while keeping in mind that you need to try and avoid the spread of infection between different places. Try to avoid contact, collective transport, as well as places where there is a large number of people. While doing outdoor activities such as going tenting, walking, cycling, riding horses, etc., follow the general advice for infection control. Further, you should strive to live by normal customs and use out in nature; if possible, avoid passing your food in nature and throwing garbage around, and remember the bonfire ban.

Also:

  • Wear a facemask where this is imposed.
  • Pay with a card instead of cash to reduce the spread of infection. And keep in mind that some places don’t accept cash at all.
  • Make sure to abide by the health authorities’ recommendation about keeping 1 meter of distance to others, and 2 meters to people in groups of risk.
  • Go home, if your condition allows for it, if you get sick while you are in your cabin or travelling.

What the travel industry is doing

You may also feel safer if you know what measures the travel industry in Norway are taking in order to prevent the spread of infection. For example, is it okay to stay in an hotel? Can you eat at restaurants? Here you will get to know what hotels, restaurants, and attractions are doing so you can feel safer during your vacation.

“We have performed a thorough risk analysis in the travel industry, and on the basis of this there has been made national standards for how actors may perform daily operations in a safer way,” says Merete Habberstad, director of communications at NHO Reiseliv.

Here is an overview of some of the measures.

General measures

  • Avoid having many people in entrances, receptions, toilets, etc.
  • Keep one meter of distance between tables.
  • Clean exposed surfaces often.
  • Use a facemask where this is imposed.
  • Make it possible to pay by card, or other contactless payment.
  • People taking driving lessons and teoriprøve exams should be healthy before entering vehicles.

Accommodation

  • Hotels are removing decorative pillows and bedspreads which aren’t cleaned regularly.
  • Thorough cleaning between each visit. If infection is discovered, special cleaning will be performed.
  • Campsites will make sure there is enough distance between guest units, and that there is regular cleaning of playground equipment and activity equipment which is rented out.
  • On campsites there must be regular cleaning of service buildings, sanitary departments etc. If this is not possible, the business has to consider other measures.

Serving

  • Avoid crowding by the entrance and bar desk.
  • Regular cleaning.
  • Guests are not to stand tightly gathered in the room, but mainly to sit by tables.
  • Avoid sharing menus, ketchup bottles, salt shakers, etc.
  • An infection control officer is designated for each work shift.
  • Try ordering food, lunch and christmasgifts online, a norwegian website like Toolbox is a great alternative from local shopping.

Nature based activities

  • The number of group participants must be reduced enough for people to keep distance and follow other infection control measures.
  • Make sure that guests that don’t belong to the same house can keep one meter distance.
  • Make sure that equipment is cleaned between each guest. If equipment is used close to the face, this will be cleaned extra thoroughly or, as an alternative, be put in quarantine for 24 hours.
  • Guests must be encouraged to clean their hands, and this must be made possible.

Amusement parks

“Family parks are after all outdoor facilities, and there is in general less danger of infection in those places. They span across large areas, and it’s easy to introduce measures that spread people across the entire park. The parks themselves have worked together to make a quite thorough infection control supervisor for this kind of business, explains Habberstad.

The amusement parks have performed a risk analysis of each activity, and in some cases, attractions may be closed because it’s difficult to maintain infection control.

Other measures include:

  • Digital ticket sales.
  • Solutions to prevent lines on the most popular attractions, for example by having a fixed time pocket where you may visit a particular attraction.

We must all do our part

“The most important thing we can do while travelling, is to think for ourselves. Don’t touch things you don’t have to touch. Clean your hands. Show respect and keep a distance to people around you. Follow the general advice from the authorities, Habberstad concludes.

Here is a short list of what you need to remember:

  • Plan any necessary travels while avoiding the spread of infection between locations.
  • Try to avoid contact, collective transport, and places where there are a lot of people.
  • Hand hygiene. Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water. It’s recommended to wash your hands when you get home after being around people. Use hand alcohol if handwash isn’t possible.
  • Cough/sneeze into a tissue (which is thrown afterwards), or in the corner of your elbow.
  • Avoid touching your face.
  • Keep a distance from people outside your travelling group.
  • Use a facemask where this is imposed.

With this set of guidelines and knowledge, you’ll be all clear to travel within Norway in a safer way during covid-19.