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– This is our longest land border. It has been open for hundreds of years. Of course, it is not possible to stop all traffic on this border with control measures, says Patrik Engström. Ekot on Swedish radio.
The border is 160 km long and has not been policed since World War II, according to Engström. All entrances, including the snowmobile trails, are now inventoried for police monitoring in one way or another.
Police in the border regions hope to get help from other authorities to cope with the task, such as the Coast Guard and Customs.
Valid until February 14
The entry ban has two purposes, Interior Minister Mikael Damberg tells SVT: partly to reduce the risk of spreading the British mutated variant of the virus from Norway, and partly to prevent the risk of further congestion in stores. Swedish if new severe closures in the Oslo area cause residents to look across the border to make purchases.
The entry ban takes effect at midnight and is valid until February 14. It can be expanded if necessary.
The call to enter: stay home
Exceptions are made for people living or working in Sweden, personnel transporting goods and other personnel in the transport sector, and people with “urgent family reasons”.
The Swedish Public Health Agency encourages all people who travel to Sweden after staying in Norway to test themselves, stay home for at least seven days and avoid contact with other people. The invitation also applies to those who have been in Norway for the last 14 days.
You can see the entire press conference on the entry ban. here.
