Norway takes their COVID-19 regulations very seriously. To combat the spread of the virus, Norway has very strict entry restrictions and testing requirements. Because I cannot prove vaccination status through a Scandinavian QR code or the European Union Digital Covid Certificate (EUDCC) gateway - despite double vaccination status in the US, I am subject to quarantine.
The process started with filling out a registration form for entry. The form outlined the requirements and expectations for quarantine. I received my QR code to present upon arrival.
For the airlines and Norway, I needed a COVID test less than 24 hours prior to arriving. I decided to have a rapid PCR test because it is the highest standard and would help me avoid being turned away at immigration. Once arriving in Oslo, anyone who was unvaccinated or could not prove vaccination status had to enter a separate immigration line. I had to show 3 different letters from The National Science Foundation, the Russian Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, and the shipping agent stating that I was permitted to enter the country and to board the ship in Kirkenes. Then, we were taken to a holding area to await for another COVID test. Most people were very patient with the process, but entitlement "reared its ugly head" in the form of an unvaccinated Norwegian woman who harassed the workers because she was not permitted to shop at Duty Free before leaving the airport. (There is unsubstantiated rumor that she was one of 2 people who left our quarantine hotel without permission, were arrested, and fined 20000 Norwegian Kroner (NOK) - about $2300).
Once all the passengers had passed their tests, we were bussed to a quarantine hotel. Norway operates multiple quarantine hotels in the Oslo region. There is no choice for travelers. We are taken to one that has openings. Some are very close to the airport - the University of Alaska (UAF) science team who arrived 4 days earlier is at one of those. I am at the Quality Inn in Olavsgaard, which is about 12 miles from the city center. A few hotels are in Oslo itself (I was not lucky enough to be sent there), but some can be as far as 2 hours away, so it's not too bad.
The quarantine process is very efficient and well-run. Signs are posted notifying people of expectations. The hotel TV channel provides information in Norwegian and English. The staff is very friendly. They recognize and understand that this is an inconvenience, but they go out of their way to help - they even managed to accommodate my "typically American" request for ice (they have stopped running most of the ice machines because few people use them).
Meals are served 3 times a day (with a snack of fruit in the late afternoon). The trays are placed on tables outside the doors and then picked up once we're through. (More about the food in a later post). There is a local representative from the municipality present every day to help and answer questions, and we are allowed to leave the hotel for 2 hours at a time to be outside - something I am trying to do as much as I can. I have even managed to do some Biology!
I'll be able to take another COVID test on Day 7 and then might be released as soon as the results come back, or I might have to wait 10 full days. I have gotten different answers from different people.
More hoops to jump through - as least I've got time to figure it all out!
Date
Location
Quality Inn Olavsgaard
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