Another EU country is abandoning coronavirus restrictions at the border altogether – at least for travelers from the EU. From February 9, Sweden will lift all border restrictions on coronavirus for tourists from the EU – that is, they no longer need to prove their coronavirus safety by presenting a vaccination pass or other tests.
“At an extraordinary meeting on Monday, the Swedish government decided to lift all entry restrictions on Nordic and other European countries on February 9, and on the same day it will lift almost all of its internal rules and recommendations regarding Covid. This decision follows the assessment of the Swedish Health Agency that the restriction on entry is no longer a proportional measure of infection control, “the government said in a statement.
At the same time, the lifting of restrictions is considered a “great relief for many travelers”, including those Scandinavians who live in several countries, the government said. They also reasonably believe that they will save money and reduce the burden on the Swedish police department, which “no longer needs to allocate staff to verify Covid-19 certificates at the border.”
However, Sweden has also warned that current entry restrictions for non-EU countries will remain in force “in line with EU recommendations on entry from third countries”. That is, tourists from these countries, including Ukraine, will still not be able to enter the country directly unless they are covered by one of a number of exceptions to the entry ban. So far, the ban has been in force until March 31. Moreover, the Swedish Ministry of Health does not rule out that restrictions on entry will still be removed “step by step” – first for Northern Europe, then for the EU, then for third countries.
It will be recalled that the lifting of restrictions is a pan-European trend. Germany, for example, despite all the problems with the Omicron, expects to ease measures and open to tourists from March 19. The country will go ahead in lifting restrictions on Britain and other European countries. Read the details at the link.
We will remind also the list of other countries where coronavirus restrictions are removed
- Denmark: All restrictions have been lifted, except for entry restrictions.
- Norway: Most restrictions have been lifted.
- Finland: Restaurants are allowed until 24.00, but nightclubs will be closed until 1 March. All restrictions are scheduled to be lifted on March 1.
- France: Restrictions on the number of events are lifted, but the obligation to present a vaccination certificate for restaurant visits and various events is not changed.
- Austria: Restrictions are being phased out, but all people over the age of 18 must have a vaccination certificate.
- Italy: entry conditions are being eased, but only for EU tourists. If they have a vaccination certificate, the obligation to take the test is waived.
- Britain: Vaccine passports (similar to QR codes), PCR testing, all hated masks and even quarantine have been abolished.
- Iceland: went the way of Britain.
For those who care about a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “Doctors talked about unhealthy tomatoes on the shelves, from which you can fall into a coma“.