In a snowy parking lot outside his home in Trondheim, the welder Emil Johansson is wearing a down jacket and winter hat.

He has been commuting between Sweden and Norway for five years, but this will probably end with the new recommendations from the Swedish Public Health Agency.

- All my free time will go to sitting alone here and then at home with my girlfriend in Sweden.

It will not be sustainable in the long run with quarantine in both Sweden and Norway.

If the rules do not change soon, it looks like I will have to quit my job and move home to Sweden again, says Emil Johansson.

"It was free then"

Emil Johansson usually works 12 days in Norway and then returns home for nine days to his family in Stöde, 40 km west of Sundsvall.

Before the corona pandemic, it was an everyday life that he enjoyed but which today seems unsustainable.

- Before the corona it was really good, then you could go home for a weekend if you were bored.

It was free then, says Emil Johansson.

17 of 21 days in quarantine

As a Swedish commuter, Emil Johansson is exempted from the entry ban from Norway.

But according to the new request from the Swedish Public Health Agency, he should stay isolated for 7 days after returning to Sweden.

In Norway, he must also be quarantined in his spare time after work for at least ten days after crossing the border.

This means that Emil Johansson will spend a total of 17 out of 21 days in quarantine.

Even though it is not a law in Sweden, Emil feels that he cannot in good conscience violate the recommendation in Sweden.

When asked how he would like the problem to be solved, he answers;

- I have all the respect for wanting to stop the spread of infection, but you are very exposed as a commuter.

If you could use the tests that we take here in Norway to avoid being quarantined in Sweden, it would be good.

Tested 30 times

To get to work in Norway today, Emil must first test himself in Sweden, a maximum of 24 hours before crossing the border.

Once across the border, he takes a test every three days for 10 days while he works.

- There have been some tests, 10, 20, yes maybe 30 times in total.

The nose test is not a favorite right away.

Now I'm used to it, but it was the worst in the beginning, says Emil Johansson.