Northern Europe during Pandemic -- Summers 2020 & 2021 & onwards

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

Does anyone have any idea if Sweden is planning on instituting a 2 week quarantine to incoming travelers once they open (like Finland)? or are they just going to open completely?

Neither Sweden nor Finland has ever had a mandatory quarantine.


In Finland it's always been a RECOMMENDED 2 week quarantine.


Swedish borders are and have been open to anyone coming from inside Schengen for whatever reason.


Finnish border will be open only for business travel so far.

[Muaddib1116]

https://www.visitfinland.com/article...land/#051337e1

The information from this site seems to imply a quarantine requirement, but I guess the wording is "expected" not "required". But this is still only an opening for EU Schengen travelers. So Finland will still be closed to non-EU travelers?

https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/about...vel-to-sweden/

This site implies that on the 15th, Sweden will open to non-EU travelers? I would be coming from the US.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

https://www.visitfinland.com/article...land/#051337e1

The information from this site seems to imply a quarantine requirement, but I guess the wording is "expected" not "required". But this is still only an opening for EU Schengen travelers. So Finland will still be closed to non-EU travelers?
snip..

Not totally closed, there are Ukrainian agriculture workers coming to Finland so work related is sometimes possible from outside Schengen.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

https://www.visitfinland.com/article...land/#051337e1

The information from this site seems to imply a quarantine requirement, but I guess the wording is "expected" not "required". But this is still only an opening for EU Schengen travelers. So Finland will still be closed to non-EU travelers?

https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/about...vel-to-sweden/

This site implies that on the 15th, Sweden will open to non-EU travelers? I would be coming from the US.

The whole Schengen zone is closed to travellers arriving from outside the EU, and Sweden and Finland are parts of that. The closure is set to expire on 15 May, but no one knows whether or not it will be renewed. It's a "recommendation" by the EU but seems to be treated like a law, so if the EU doesn't let that expire, then I'm afraid it will continue.


The tendency these days has been for border closures to be prolonged even while other measures are lifted. I hate it.


In Finland the national border closure will probably trump whatever the EU does anyway -- national border is open to intra-EU travel from next week but only for business travel. If the EU lets the overall Schengen closure to expire, I would guess that Finland would also restrict entry from outside the EU, to business travelers

[Montanan]

https://vnk.fi/artikkeli/-/asset_pub...nguageId=en_US

On 7 April 2020, the Government decided at an extraordinary Government session to prolong the validity of the decision on the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders and the restrictions on traffic. The validity period was extended from 14 April 2020 to 13 May 2020.

The Government’s aim is to further reduce movement in the common travel-to-work area along the borders with Sweden and Norway. Only strictly necessary travel to work will be allowed, and employees must carry a certificate from their employer stating that the work is essential. As a rule, all persons arriving across internal borders to Finland are obliged, during their stay in Finland, to follow the instructions of the Finnish health authorities and to remain under quarantine-like conditions for 14 days from their last entry to Finland.

The requirement to remain under quarantine-like conditions for 14 days will not apply to essential emergency medical service and rescue service personnel or to freight transport personnel. The Government also calls on employers to explore ways of reducing the cross-border movement of workers, for example by providing employees with accommodation near where they work.

Finns working in Sweden and Norway in the areas along the Finnish border must stay under quarantine-like conditions when they are in the territory of Finland. As an exception to the rule, employees may continue to travel to work if they comply with this condition and follow the quarantine guidelines.

Employees coming to Finland from Sweden or Norway must follow the guidance on minimising the risk of infection (the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare) and must stay in quarantine-like conditions, to the extent possible, both in Finland and during their stay at home. Finland also considers it essential that Sweden instruct health care staff to better protect themselves and increase the testing of these groups. Sweden has committed to enabling the provision of some of Norrbotten County’s hospital capacity (including intensive care capacity) for the treatment of Finnish patients. If the epidemic worsens, staff may no longer be able to move across the border.

Finland is closely monitoring the development of the disease and is prepared to place further restrictions on border traffic if necessary.

[Montanan]

The European Union’s ban on nonessential travel from countries outside the bloc is set to expire May 15. But one E.U. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss deliberations, said the ban was highly likely to be extended for another month at least.

On top of that, some countries are considering mandatory quarantines for international arrivals.

Thierry Breton, a member of the European Commission who handles tourism policy, told French radio that it is likely that certain areas of the European Union would be open to tourists and others not. He said borders could turn on and off between E.U. countries depending on the outbreak. “It is like this, and it has to be accepted,” he said. “The borders of the pandemic do not match geographical borders.”

German tourism commissioner Thomas Bareiss confirmed that Germany was in talks with its neighbors about permitting summer vacation travel. I hope that given the good numbers, we will be able to relax the restrictions in the next four to eight weeks,” he said, adding that destinations “that can be reached by car” would be the most likely possibilities.

Other countries, though, don’t appear ready to reopen their borders anytime soon. France has extended its coronvirus-related border controls until the end of October. Denmark, Norway and Sweden have indicated that theirs will continue until at least Nov. 12.

Some officials have expressed hope that coronavirus-tracking apps might enable countries to open their borders to fellow Europeans, while retaining the ability to alert people who may have been exposed to the virus. But such apps are in their early stages, there are concerns about whether the voluntary technology will be adopted widely, and the versions France and Britain are pursuing may not be compatible with the rest of Europe.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...c93_story.html

[Muaddib1116]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Denmark, Norway and Sweden have indicated that theirs will continue until at least Nov. 12.

That link didn't work for me, but this statement is not great for my plans. I haven't found any other sources that say this though.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

That link didn't work for me, but this statement is not great for my plans. I haven't found any other sources that say this though.

Try this link: https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/ar...t-15250900.php

[Montanan]

http://https://www.schengenvisainfo....ross-schengen/

Belgium has reintroduced all internal border controls, set to expire on May 8.

The Czech Republic has reintroduced all air border controls and land border controls with Austria and Germany, set to expire on April 24.

Denmark has reintroduced all border controls, which are set to expire on November 12.

Estonia has reintroduced all border controls, which are set to expire on May 1.

Finland has reintroduced all border controls, which are set to expire on May 13.

France has reintroduced all border controls, which will remain in place until October 30.

Germany has reintroduced land and air borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Italy and Spain, sea border with Denmark, valid until May 5.

The country has still in place border controls that were extended last Novembers due to secondary movements at the external borders at the land borders with Austria, set to expire on November 11.

Hungary has reintroduced all air border controls and internal land borders with Slovenia, Austria and Slovakia, valid until May 1.

Lithuania has reintroduced all internal borders which are set to expire on April 27.

Norway has reintroduced all of its border controls, valid until November 11.

Poland has reintroduced land borders with Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, sea borders, air borders, all set to expire on May 3.

Portugal has reintroduced all internal land border controls, valid until May 5.

Spain has reintroduced all internal borders set to expire on April 26.

Sweden has the external border controls in place, to be determined but may concern all internal borders, until May 12. The authorities are also considering prolongation of the border controls until November 11.

Switzerland has reintroduced all internal air and land borders except from borders with Liechtenstein, until May 2.

Slovakia has reintroduced all internal borders set to expire on May 7.

[Muaddib1116]

Thanks.


It looks like the EU has just recommended extending the restriction of non-EU travel until June 15th.


https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pres...l/en/ip_20_823

[Montanan]

As clear as mud

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pres...l/en/ip_20_652

Internal border controls should be lifted in a coordinated manner. Travel restrictions and border controls should be removed once the border regions' epidemiological situation converges sufficiently.

External border should be reopened in a second stage and take account of the spread of the virus outside the EU.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

That link didn't work for me, but this statement is not great for my plans. I haven't found any other sources that say this though.

Horrible!

[DeepFrz]

Sweden's open policy. Do you still think its working?

https://www.endcoronavirus.org/countries#action

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Sweden's open policy. Do you still think its working?

https://www.endcoronavirus.org/countries#action

Well, look at the bottom row of the infection curves in the article you linked and tell us what YOU think:







The basic reproduction rate in Sweden now is 0.85, which is excellent, better already than Germany or Denmark.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

Thanks.


It looks like the EU has just recommended extending the restriction of non-EU travel until June 15th.


https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pres...l/en/ip_20_823

Key comment from France, AT LEAST, meaning there is a probability that it will be extended longer than June 15th.

France will keep its borders closed to all but essential travel until at least June 15th the Interior Minister has announced.

At present anyone travelling from Europe - including the UK - needs an international travel permit and can only cross the border if they meet certain criteria.

Castaner announced on Thursday that these rules will remain in place until "at least June 15th".

He said: "Since the start of the crisis the closure of the borders is the rule, and the authorisation to cross a border is the exception. "We have to keep this protection in place, this will not change soon." He added that cross-border workers will remain exempt from this restriction. For travellers from outside Europe there is an EU ban on all non essential travel and Castaner said this will remain in place "until further notice". However the compulsory quarantine which had been causing some confusion over the past week will not, at this stage, be applied to people arriving from inside the EU or Schengen zone.