This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
Published on June 23, 2020, AFP reported that Norway's pandemic travel ban has caused significant distress for many families.
Bettina Wintermark, a 59-year-old hairdresser, is worried that she may never see her dying mother alive again due to Norway's strict travel restrictions.
Wintermark's mother, who is 84 years old and suffering from an internal haemorrhage, is in Bordeaux, France, and Wintermark is unable to visit her because of the 10-day quarantine requirement upon return to Norway.
"It's a nightmare," Wintermark said. "If Norway didn't have these strict restrictions, I would have left immediately. But it's impossible to make short trips to France because I can't go into a 10-day quarantine each time."
Wintermark's son's wedding, initially planned for July 20 in Bordeaux, has also been postponed indefinitely due to the travel restrictions.
"The invitations had already been sent out," Wintermark lamented. "Most of the people coming from Norway had their hotels and tickets booked, and they're having a hard time getting reimbursed."
Despite Norway's efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed just 248 people in the country of 5.4 million, many Norwegians are frustrated with the strict travel restrictions.
"A lot of people are sad and frustrated," admitted Justice Minister Monica Maeland. "We're not doing this to annoy people, but because we absolutely have to keep the situation under control."
However, the tourism industry has called for restrictions to be lifted for Germany, which accounts for almost a quarter of all foreign visitors each summer.
"Reopening to this country would be the best recovery plan for Norway's tourism sector, without it costing authorities a cent," insisted Per-Arne Tuftin, the head of the national tourism association Norsk Reiseliv.
