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I WANT TO TEST EVERYONE: On Sunday evening, the Norwegian Health Directorate issued a call for all people arriving or arriving from the UK in the last 14 days to be tested. Photo: LHR AIRPORTS LIMITED
On Sunday, it became clear that Norway’s Health Directorate is tightening up for travelers coming from the UK, where a new and much more contagious variant of the coronavirus has been discovered.
The UK recently notified the WHO and EU countries about the new variant of Covid-19 that has spread in south-east England.
On Sunday, British Health Minister Matt Hancock said, among other things, that the situation is out of control and that, therefore, it will be necessary to introduce a series of measures in the country.
The variant of the virus in question may be 70 percent more contagious than the original coronavirus, but it does not appear to cause more serious illness.
In this sense, the Norwegian Health Directorate has been tasked with mapping the possible quarantine rules and evidence of those who come from the UK or have arrived in the last 14 days.
By Sunday evening, the recommendation of the Norwegian Health Directorate was ready:
– All arrivals from the UK must present a negative covid-19 test upon arrival in Norway and must follow quarantine rules. In addition, it is also strongly requested to test the covid-19, they write in theirs websites.
The deputy director of health of the Norwegian Health Directorate, Espen Nakstad, confirms that they will now ask everyone who has come in the last 14 days to take the test.
– It is then the PCR tests that must be used so that the genetic material of the virus can be analyzed in FHI to detect any mutation, explains Nakstad.
Considering new measures
Additionally, the Norwegian Health Directorate writes that Norwegian health authorities are considering new measures to prevent the virus variant from entering and spreading in Norway.
– We ask that everyone who has been in the UK for the last 14 days, and those who are now arriving in Norway, be tested for covid-19. The tests will be analyzed at FHI to detect new mutations of the virus, says the division director of the Norwegian Health Directorate, Johan Torgersen.
In an email to VG, Health Minister Bent Høie agrees with the same conclusion as the Norwegian Health Directorate:
– I strongly request that everyone who has been to the UK take the test within one day of arrival and that everyone who has been in the UK for the last 14 days and is now quarantined be tested .
The latest UK figures show that the new virus accounts for 62 percent of all new cases reported in London, Sky News writes. In the south east and east of England, the mutated virus accounts for 59 and 62 per cent of cases, respectively.
Several European countries stop flights
Høie further points out to VG that it is now important that we act quickly to try to prevent the virus variant from spreading further nationally here in Norway.
– We have strict entry measures, but are now considering whether further measures need to be implemented, writes Høie.
However, there are several challenges related to immigrants from the UK that we now face, Nakstad believes.
– We have a good overview of air traffic between the UK and Norway, but not such a good view of who can travel through other countries.
The variant of the virus that health authorities now fear will reach Norway has also been detected in samples from 9 people in Denmark, as well as in the Netherlands and Australia.
According to a press release issued by the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) on Sunday, a similar mutation has not been found in Norway.
The rise of the new virus mutation has led Belgium to have already decided to stop all UK flights and trains for 24 hours, writes AFP.
The Netherlands has also introduced stopovers on flights from the UK. Italy has the same. Germany will also consider stopping all flights, as well as those from South Africa.
AGREE: Health Minister Bent Høie agrees with the Norwegian Health Directorate’s recommendation to screen everyone coming from the UK. He also hopes that those who are now in quarantine after arriving in the country recently will also be tested. Photo: Terje Bringedal
According to FHI recommendations
Before the recommendation of the Norwegian Health Directorate, the NIPH had already proposed similar measures to buy time to evaluate the new mutation of the virus. It may appear that the latest recommendation from the Norwegian Health Directorate is based on the measures proposed by FHI.
In a press release, the department presented the following tips:
- Strengthen quarantine compliance and reporting for UK travelers (i.e. anyone who has been to the UK in the last 14 days).
- Advise all UK travelers (including Norwegian citizens) on PCR testing within 24 hours of arrival in Norway (in addition to the current requirement for a negative test 72 hours prior to entry into Norway).
- Take a closer look at the quarantine exemption rules for UK travelers and consider adjusting them.
In Norway, the National Institute of Public Health is closely monitoring new mutations in coronavirus poisoning.
We’ve also seen some of the changes seen in the UK virus in Norway viruses, but not as many changes and in the mix reported by the UK, says the head of the Line Vold department at the National Institute of Health. Public in the press release.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health considers that if the new variant is significantly more contagious than the variants we already have in Norway and is also spreading here, it could affect the Norwegian epidemic.
