Norway lifts ban on flights from Britain introduced due to virus variant

Friday, 1 January 2021 15:45

Norway is lifting its ban on flights from Britain, introduced to stop the spread of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus, the health ministry said on Friday, with planes allowed to land from January 2 at 1600 GMT.

Following the lead of other European nations, Norway on December 21 halted travel from Britain after news that the new variant of the virus was rapidly spreading.

Oslo announced on Thursday it would introduce from January 2 mandatory COVID-19 tests for all people arriving in the Nordic country from abroad, either directly upon arrival or up to 24 hours after.

"If this strain should spread in Norway, it will probably mean a full lockdown of society," Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Thursday.

Norway's 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was down to 113.6 as of Wednesday, the fourth-lowest in Europe behind Iceland, Greece and Finland, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said.

More from International News

Israeli attacks on Gaza killed 60 people in 24 hours

Israeli occupation forces committed multiple massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, resulting in the killing of at least 60 Palestinians and the injury of 162 others, according to medical reports.
Trump fires National Security Agency director

U.S. President Donald Trump fired General Timothy Haugh as director of the National Security Agency on Thursday, according to two officials familiar with the decision, and congressional Democrats denounced the removal of the nonpartisan official from a top security post.
Israel steps up Syria strikes, says Turkey aims for 'protectorate'

Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria, declaring the attacks a warning to the new rulers in Damascus as it accused their ally Turkey of trying to turn the country into a Turkish protectorate.
US sending Israel 20,000 assault rifles that Biden delayed

The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 US-made assault rifles to Israel last month, according to a document seen by Reuters, pushing ahead with a sale that the administration of former president Joe Biden had delayed.