Norway listed as ‘very high’ risk for travel after lifting pandemic restrictions

Norway was moved to the highest-risk category of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) list of travel advisories on Monday. 

The CDC has now designated the country “Level 4: Covid-19 Very High.”

Norway abruptly announced the removal of all COVID-19 policies on Friday, and the lift took effect on Saturday. Celebrations erupted in the streets, with at least 50 reports of violent disturbances on Sunday. 

“It has been 561 days since we introduced the toughest measures in Norway in peacetime,” outgoing Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said in her announcement on Friday. “Now the time has come to return to a normal daily life.”

“Avoid travel to Norway,” the CDC’s website said on Monday following the removal of the Scandinavian country’s COVID-19 restrictions. “If you must travel to Norway, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.”

Sweden and Denmark are currently listed by the CDC as Level 3 in terms of their relative travel risk. 

Regardless of a traveler’s destination, the CDC warns against traveling internationally if not fully vaccinated. 

“Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19,” the agency said. “However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants.”