Transmission quarantine exemption extended from 6 to 12 months

Information in other languages (more languages will be publised soon):

• Arabisk: Transmission quarantine exemption extended from 6 to 12 months (27/08/21) PDF
• Dari: Transmission quarantine exemption extended from 6 to 12 months  (27/08/21) PDF
• Polsk: Zwolnienie z kwarantanny po kontakcie z osobą zarażoną zostaje wydłużone z 6 do 12 miesięcy (27/08/21) PDF 
• Russisk: Продолжительность периода освобождения переболевших COVID-19 контактных лиц от карантина увеличивается с 6 до 12 месяцев (27/08/21) PDF 
• Somali: Muddada karantiilka laga dhaafayo qof covid-19 hore ugu dhacay marka uu u dhawaado qof covid-19 laga helay waxa laga dhigay 12 bilood halkii ay markii hore ahaan jirtay 6 bilood
  (27/08/21) PDF 
• Tigrinja: ሕድገት ውሸባ ለብዒ ካብ 6 ናብ 12 ኣዋርሕ ይናዋሕ (27/08/21) PDF
• Tyrkisk: Temaslı karantinası muafiyeti 6 aydan 12 aya çıkarılıyor (27/08/21) PDF
• Urdu: Transmission quarantine exemption extended from 6 to 12 months (27/08/21) PDF 

Until now, the duration of the exemption from transmission quarantine for people who have recovered from COVID-19 has been 6 months, contingent on documentation of the illness from the Norwegian health service. The Norwegian Government is now extending the exemption period to 12 months. The change will enter into effect from 28 August 2021 at 12 am.

‘We now have sound knowledge which shows that people who have recovered from COVID-19 have good protection for at least 12 months. This is why we are extending the exemption from transmission quarantine for this group of people’, says Minister of Health and Care Services Bent Høie.

The COVID-19 certificate for domestic use will also be updated, so that it is green for 12 months after a person has recovered from COVID-19. The technical solution is expected to be ready by 9 September.

The changes are being made on the recommendation of the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

There will be no corresponding change to the travel quarantine exemption for people who have recovered from COVID-19. This is because the EU only allows recovery certificates to be valid up to 180 days.

Creating a solution to extend the travel quarantine exemption would require extensive technological resources, while few people would benefit from any changes. Adults in this group can get vaccinated, giving them a permanent exemption from travel quarantine, while children can already shorten their quarantine if they present a negative result from a PCR test taken after 3 days.

‘It is important that recovery from COVID-19 can be documented securely, and the best way of doing this is to use the EU Digital Covid Certificate. If the EU adopts any changes to the duration of COVID-19 recovery details in the Covid Certificate, the Norwegian Government will consider whether to change the travel quarantine rules again’, says Mr Høie.