Norway bans man for two years over quarantine breach

HEALTH   VIRUS

Norwegian police said Thursday they had expelled a foreigner who violated quarantine rules and slapped him with a 1,900-euro fine, while immigration officials banned him reentering the country for two years.

The man was caught breaking quarantine regulations in the western county of More og Romsdal, about a week after arriving from Germany having flown via the Netherlands.

Norway requires travellers arriving from most European countries, including both Germany and the Netherlands, to quarantine themselves for 10 days to curb the spread of Covid-19.

"We live in a system based on trust. Everyone is asked to do their bit," regional police official Svein Rike told AFP.

"In these circumstances, it's important to react firmly when the rules are broken," he explained.

The man, who was visiting someone in Norway, was ordered to pay a fine of 20,000 kroner (1,900 euros, $2,240), while immigration authorities also banned him from entering the country for two years.

Police refused to disclose the man's identity or nationality, saying only that he was not from a country within the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway).