Wrongly placed in quarantine hotel in Gardermoen – VG

Briton Zach (23) had been told that he could be in a quarantine hotel in Tromsø, the city where his Norwegian fiancee Mars (23) is located, but was instead placed in a quarantine hotel in Gardermoen.

He had prepared well before leaving Amsterdam, where he studies. He had booked a flight to Tromsø, with a flight change at Gardermoen. He had a recent negative crowned test with him, and his fiancé had checked with the Tromsø municipality if he could pass the quarantine there.

However, he was referred to the Gardermoen quarantine hotel.

– It has been clearly reported that people who can confirm that they have a place in a quarantine hotel in the municipality where they will be staying will be able to travel beyond Gardermoen, says the chief communications adviser at the Ministry of Justice, Andreas Skjøld-Lorange, to VG.

VG has received a lot of advice and has been in contact with several who are in the same situation as Zach.

Skjøld-Lorange says the ministry will be in contact with the relevant agencies today to make sure the authorities meeting with travelers are aware of this.

The responsibility of the police

The border control section of the police in Gardermoen and the municipality of Ullensaker have singled out each other when it comes to who is responsible in such a situation.

Ullensaker municipal director Gunnhild Grimstad-Kirkeby maintains that it is the police who decide where travelers go to quarantine hotels.

– When travelers meet our guards, the border police have already decided that they will go to one of our hotels. Then the guards’ job is to help the travelers get there, Grimstad-Kirkeby says.

On Monday night, Ragnhild Aass, head of the border control section at Oslo Airport in the eastern police district, confirms that it is his responsibility.

– Today we received a clear message from the Ministry of Justice through the Police Directorate that the police are expected to take responsibility for this, says Aass.

Grimstad-Kirkeby refers to an email dated November 24, which was sent to county governors from the Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB).

According to DSB, the Ministry of Justice had stated that there is no obligation to stay in the quarantine hotel at the place of arrival, if the traveler wishes to quarantine in a quarantine hotel in another municipality.

The Police Directorate had to take this to border control and the police.

– Very happy

– Did you get this information?

– Until now we have received the information, but we have interpreted it so that our task remained the responsibility of border control, says Aass.

When people can request different quarantine hotels, there will be a lot of additional administrative work for the police, he says.

– But we are setting up an apparatus for this for now. So we have a responsibility to manage and make sure that people who go to quarantined hotels get it.

Aass says that the British Zach will thus travel to quarantine hotels in Tromsø.

– I am very happy to go to Tromsø. Unfortunately, I have a lot of work to do from the hotel, so I can’t leave until Thursday, Zach says on the phone Monday night.

Aass says that Zach will have to buy a new ticket to Tromsø. She is not sure how many have been affected by the practice.

– Will people be reimbursed for airline tickets that were lost when the additional travel was stopped?

– I do not know. So those who may think they should get it back should file a complaint, says Aass.

Zach is disappointed that he has to pay for a new ticket himself.

– But it is like this. I’m glad I can go.