Norway has decided to ban sea cruises to Svalbard in order to limit the Arctic archipelago’s exposure to potential Covid-19 contagion.
The new restrictions will last until Nov. 1 initially, and make an exception for day cruises starting and ending on Svalbard with vessels carrying a maximum of 30 people, the government said on its website on Thursday.
The ban further tightens restrictions on cruise activity in Norwegian waters following a coronavirus outbreak on a vessel operated by Hurtigruten Group AS this summer.