The “grandmother” must be in a quarantine hotel – it is not clear who takes care of the bill – NRK Norway – Summary of news from different parts of the country

According to the government, quarantine hotels will be installed as soon as possible.

But today no one can answer how long the hotel stay will last, who will pay, how many rooms will be needed or whether travelers will be attended by guards.

– We are now working on how this will be in practice. The important thing is that those who go to the country and have a quarantine obligation can document where they are going to live, and if they do not have a plan, they must stay in a hotel, says deputy health director Espen Nakstad to NRK.

Erna Solberg herself used the example of grandmothers when the measures were presented, and the quarantine scheme will apply to all who visit Norway and do not have their own home where they can be quarantined without risking and infecting family members .

Solberg also has no clear answer on where the invoice should be sent:

– We have a review of that now. But you and Grandma may have to be on the bill, if not all, in part. Employers must take responsibility too, but we are not done with this.

The government notes that employers are responsible for providing quarantine for employees coming to work in Norway.

– It is not a prison

Several countries have used hotel quarantine almost since the pandemic began in March.

In China, travelers are greeted with full infectious equipment at the airport and transported to hotels on their own buses.

No one can leave the rooms for 14 days.

Food is placed on a stool outside the door.

It won’t be as strict in Norway, according to Nakstad. He notes that people in quarantine, for example, can go for a walk outside, but not go to the store or take the bus.

– Quarantine is not a prison. It is possible to be outdoors when you are in quarantine. You should not look for other people and you cannot use public transportation or go to work.

– Will there be a guard?

– These are details that we must look at. The important thing is the follow-up, that those who are in quarantine understand why they are in quarantine and comply with it.

137,000 arrived in September

During a period in September, 137,000 people traveled to Norway, according to figures from the Norwegian Health Directorate. The majority, some 90,000, crossed the Swedish border by car.

There will likely be fewer travelers as well now that Norway has tightened the rules.

How many hotel rooms will need to be used, therefore no one knows yet.

– It is very uncertain how many people will have this need and how many will leave travel patterns in Europe in the coming weeks, says Nakstad.

Failed in Australia

In Australia, the hotel’s quarantine plan drew massive criticism after several guests fled hotels at night. Several employees and guards at quarantined hotels were infected, leading to new outbreaks.

The system failed to stop the contagion of imports to the state of Victoria, is the conclusion in a hearing held in September.

• 99 percent of the cases in Victoria state’s second wave of infections can be traced back to three outbreaks in quarantined hotels.
• The person in charge of the operation of several quarantined hotels received no training in infection control
• Communication problems between the different agencies meant that no one knew when the planes landed and how many on board needed hotel rooms.
• The quarantine program cost A $ 130 million, about NOK 865 million, and exceeded the budget by $ 25 million.

– There is always the danger that this will get away, but it becomes very important how people practice the quarantine rules when they come from abroad now. There is so much infection outside of Norway that we don’t want an additional replenishment, says Nakstad.