The Swedish Public Health Agency makes the assessment that an outbreak in combination with the extensive shutdowns could entail a risk of floods of people to the Swedish side of the border.
- It increases the risk of congestion in Swedish municipalities near the border and the risk that the mutated virus will spread further in Sweden, says Mikael Damberg.
Can be extended
The entry ban takes effect at midnight and is valid until 14 February.
The ban can be extended if necessary.
The entry ban works in the same way as Sweden has for Denmark today.
This means that exceptions are made for people who live or perform work in Sweden, staff who transport goods and other staff in the transport sector, and people with "urgent family reasons".
The entry ban for Denmark and the United Kingdom is extended until 14 February.
- We are ready to make the decisions required to reduce the spread of infection and protect life and health, says the Minister of the Interior.
The decision comes after Norwegian authorities began to fear a major outbreak of the British mutation of the coronavirus in the Oslo area.
On Saturday, new recommendations came from the Public Health Agency, including a call that all travelers to Sweden who have stayed in Norway for the past 14 days should stay at home for at least seven days and avoid contact with others.
See the entire press conference here.