Quick Test Required upon Arrival in Svalbard The Norwegian government has decided that anyone arriving in Svalbard must self-test for Corona within 24 hours of arrival.
Norwegian Seafood Industry Fears A New Season Without Enough Workers, Wants Open-Border Guarantee from Government Infection is on the rise in Norway and Europe. Norwegian health authorities believe the Omicron variety will dominate infections after Christmas and have initiated new restrictions. Now, the seafood industry fears that it has to face a new season without enough season workers.
Covid-19: Fourth Covid Wave Hits Iceland Most of those infected upon vaccination were in the Janssen vaccine group.
COVID-19 in Canada: Started Vaccinating Youth Nunavut, Canada, has begun vaccinating youth between the ages of 12 and 17.
Today, the Border Crossing Station between Norway and Finland is Re-Opened Today, the border between Norway and Finland is re-opened after having been shut down due to the pandemic for five months. “We are a border municipality and this is a day of joy”, says Mayor Lena Norum Bergeng of Sør-Varanger Municipality.
Canadian Community Declares State of Emergency The Canadian hamlet Arviat has seen 86 cases of COVID-19 since 22 January.
Alaska Loses State COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Alaska has become one of two states in the United States without a formal COVID-19 public health disaster declaration and the only state without any disaster-related provisions.
Norwegian Fisheries Minister: “We Must Increase Land-Based Profitability” Waves run high in the Norwegian fish industry. Debate surrounds quota regulations and travel restrictions for incoming foreign workers, and coastal municipalities warrant lasting value creation. “We have to do a better job here”, says Fisheries Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen (Conservatives).
US Senator Fears Impact of the Pandemic: – Gravely Concerning and Pretty Dark The impacts of COVID-19 in the Arctic have exaggerated existing vulnerabilities such as remoteness, access to health services, and there is an increase in youth suicide. It is the unveiling of a broken system. And it is taking lives.
Norwegian Winter Fisheries: Seasonal Workers May Not Cross the Border for the Next Two Weeks “I understand the seafood industry’s frustration. However, if we do not take measures against the infection situation, that could also have significant consequences for the companies”, says Fisheries and Seafood Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen when asked about the new entry regulations for seasonal workers.
Island har stanset britisk coronavariant ved grensen Island har så langt greit å demme opp for den svært smittsomme britiske varianten av coronaviruset. Det har de klart med systematisk testing på grensen, forebyggende karantene for besøkende og full kartlegging av alle smittetilfeller i landet.
Iceland Halts U.K. Covid Variant at the Border Iceland has so far managed to contain the highly contagious British variant of the Corona virus with systematic border testing, preemptive quarantines for visitors and full sequencing of Covid-19 cases detected in the country.
Norwegian Government Cancels Allied Exercise Activity in the North The Norwegian government has decided that the scheduled winter exercises with allied partners in Northern Norway shall be cancelled, due to the current Corona infection situation in Norway.
Alaska Schools Welcome Students Back to Classrooms Schools in Alaska has been closed for 10 months due to the pandemic. Finally the first phase of students are returning to classrooms.
Alaska is Preparing to Deliver First COVID-19 Vaccine Pfizer’s 35,100 doses of COVID-19 vaccine will arrive Alaska, in shipping containers on cargo and commercial flights as soon as next week.
COVID-19 in the Arctic: Nunavut wrangles with the virus for the first time Canada’s largest territory has eased lockdown protocol in most of its communities after COVID-19 arrived in the region in early November.
Nunavut Goes Into Lockdown as Covid-19 Hits On Monday, Nunavut in Canada goes into a lockdown for two weeks to stop Covid-19 from spreading further. This is the first outbreak of Covid-19 in the community.
Sorry, We’re Closed! Commentary: While many of us feel locked up while the pandemic is ravaging the world around us, some are also shut out.
Infection Onboard 'MS Roald Amundsen': “No Entering at Svalbard Settlements” “Neither passengers nor crew have come onshore in Longyearbyen, Barentsburg or Ny-Ålesund during the two cruises in our waters in July”, says Visit Svalbard Manager Ronny Brunvoll.
Restrictions on travel and tourism to be further lifted in Finland Permanent Secretary Martti Hetemäki of the Finnish Ministry of Finance lifts travel restrictions for Norway, Denmark, Iceland and the Baltic countries. Sweden did not make the cut.
Covid-19 Did Not Stop Russia’s Largest Windmill Park “If a windmill park of this capacity can function in this climate, it will be easier for regions with more beneficial conditions to focus more on wind power”, says Yuri Sergeyev of Bellona.
Won the North Atlantic Corona Challenge with shopping app Four teams have been awarded prizes in the North Atlantic Corona Challenge that brought together 64 participants virtually at the end of May.
University of Greenland Open for On-Site Teaching Several universities in the Arctic are gradually opening their campuses for both students and staff. In Norway, Sweden and Finland, however, there will be online teaching for most students all the way through to the end of the spring term.
Covid-19 in the Arctic: Over 20,000 new cases in 48 hours in Russia Russia is experiencing a sharp increase in corona infection with over 20,000 new confirmed cases in the last 48 hours. Moscow has the most infections, but the Arctic parts of Russia are also experiencing increasing numbers. Murmansk Oblast is now the fifth most affected region in the country.
Covid-19 in the Arctic: Dramatic Increase at Russian Construction Site, Introduces Ankle Bracelets to Prevent Spreading More than 200 construction workers laboring to complete a supply base for Novatek have taken ill with Covid-19 in Belokamenka, Murmansk oblast. Regional authorities now buy electronic ankle bracelets to monitor patients confirmed positive for the virus.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: The Faroe Islands ease restrictions The Faroese government states in a press release that it is easing the measures and restrictions that were implemented after the Corona pandemic reached the country in March. Schools and day centers will partially reopen on April 20, and sporting events may resume on May 9 under controlled conditions.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Finland Lifts Restrictions with Immediate Effect High North News follows the spread and effects of the Corona virus in the Arctic. On Tuesday 14 April, the Finnish government decided to lift restrictions on movement in the Uusimaa region, where Helsinki, the capital, is located.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: All Reported Healthy Again in Greenland High North News is back with its mapping of the expansion of the Corona virus in the Arctic. No new cases of infection have been discovered in Greenland since 4 April. All 11 who have been ill with Covid-19 in Greenland have been reported healthy again. Premier Kim Kielsen says at a press conference that the authorities are planning a gradual re-opening of Nuuk.
Covid-19 in the Arctic: The High North is Vulnerable, yet also Easier to Protect “It is easier to close off parts of the northern regions and through that flatten the curve in the High North”, says the Danish virus expert Anders Koch. However; “we cannot keep society shut down indefinitely”, says University of Tromsø researcher Ørjan Olsvik.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Iceland has Tested Five Percent of Its Population High North News continues its mapping of the spread of the coronavirus in the Arctic. Iceland has one of the highest infection rates in the world; however, this may derive from the Arctic state being one of the countries in the world testing the highest number of inhabitants for the virus.
Svalbard Without Corona Infection, Many Arctic Regions Have No Corona Deaths Svalbard and Nunavut are the only Arctic areas in which there is no Corona infection. Several Arctic regions have not registered a single death stemming from Corona. In addition to Svalbard, that also goes for Greenland, Nordland/Norway, West Botnia/Sweden, Northern Finland, the Faroe Islands, Northwestern Russia and the northern parts of Canada.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Alaska Introduces Measures Against Hoarding Alaska still has a very low number of persons infected with the Corona virus compared to the rest of the USA. Nevertheless, the state’s authorities prepare for the pandemic to increase, the High North News’ daily mapping of the extension of the Corona virus in the Arctic shows.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Greenland bans sale of alcohol High North News continues its update on the spread of the coronavirus in the Arctic. Greenland authorities have banned the sale of alcohol in stores in the capital Nuuk and in the villages of Kapisillit and Qeqertarsuatsiaat. Prime Minister Kim Kielsen says the ban is a measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but also to protect children.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Russia Introduces New Measures High North News continues its daily updates on the spread of the coronavirus in the Arctic. The number of people infected with the virus in Russia increases every day, and publicly reported Russian figures now report of more than 1,000 cases of Covid-19. Moscow is shutting down all restaurants, bars, cafés and parks for one week, starting Saturday.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Finland imposes travel restrictions High North News continues its update about the spreading of the coronavirus in the Arctic. In Norway, some municipalities are trying to build up local borders to prevent the spread of the virus. In Finland, the government has chosen a strategy where they try to isolate the capital Helsinki.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Far Fewer Travel from South to North High North News continues its update about the spreading of the coronavirus in the Arctic. Far fewer trips are carried out from south to north in Norway after several municipalities in northern Norway introduced extra quarantine measures. – What we know is that traffic in the north has been reduced significantly. We do not know what the situation would have been if these measures had not been implemented, says Mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen to High North News.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Northern Norway Still Defying National Regulations High North News provides updates about the spreading of the coronavirus in the Arctic. Today, Tuesday, the number of infections in the circumpolar High North is still low. In Norway, Mayor Ronald Wærnes of Båtsfjord municipality is one out of a series of local actors who are still critical of the government's asking municipalities to lift quarantine regulations for healthy persons who have traveled from further south in the country.
Updated Corona in the Arctic: Still lower spread in the North High North News provides updates about the spreading of the coronavirus in the Arctic. Northern Norway, Northern Sweden and Northern Finland still have lower rates of infection than in the south. There are still no reported cases in Svalbard or in Kainuu in Finland.
Update on Corona in the Arctic: 54 new cases in Russia High North News provides daily updates on the spreading of the coronavirus in the Arctic. In Russia, 54 new cases of infection were reported in the last 24 hours. The first death due to coronavirus has been confirmed in Moscow.
