Finland’s government confirmed on Wednesday that it would reintroduce travel restrictions to a number of countries including Nordic nations Denmark and Norway.
Some countries previously on Finland’s ‘green’ list will now again be subject to restrictions, Helsinki said.
“Internal border control and travel restrictions will apply to traffic from Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, Greece and Malta,” Finland’s interior minister Maria Ohisalo tweeted.
Sisärajavalvonta ja matkustusrajoitukset palautetaan Norjasta, Tanskasta, Islannista, Saksasta, Kreikasta ja Maltalta tulevaan liikenteeseen.
Ulkorajoilla rajoitukset palautetaan Irlannin, San Marinon, Japanin ja Kyprokseen osalta. 1/4 https://t.co/Fzd25dTUPF
— Maria Ohisalo (@MariaOhisalo) August 19, 2020
Internal border traffic means movement within the Schengen area, the Finnish government states on its website. The restrictions — which rule out leisure travel for non-Finnish citizens coming from the encompassed countries — can be read in detail here.
“The increasingly serious coronavirus crisis many places in Europe means that the government is now reintroducing border controls and quarantine requirements for a number of countries. That comes after marathon negotiations in the Finnish coalition government,” Swedish-language Helsinki newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet writes.
The new restrictions are a compromise between increased caution about the pandemic and a desire to keep borders open, according to the newspaper.
Self-isolation is recommended for all those arriving in Finland who come from countries that are subject to internal or external border control, according to the Finnish foreign ministry. The country’s quarantine guidelines can be found via the website of Finland’s National Institute for Health and Welfare.
Source: thelocal.dk