Greenland’s new executive order on COVID-19 comes into effect September 30
With COVID-19 numbers continuing to climb in Denmark, Greenland’s home rule government has issued a new executive order that will come into effect on September 30.
“The number of infected people is increasing in Denmark and internationally, and therefore the Naalakkersuisut [Greenland’s home rule government] has just adopted a new executive order for travel in and to Greenland,” the government said in a news release on Tuesday. “It’s based on the previous executive order, and builds on tools used in the fight against the infection’s spread.”
All travellers to Greenland from Denmark will now be required to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within five days of departure, at Copenhagen’s Kastrup airport. This was previously not the case for children under 12, and the requirement for them will come into effect October 7 to allow a transition period.
The government has also reintroduced quarantine rules upon entry, which include either a 14–day quarantine, or getting retested for COVID-19 five days or later after arrival.
With some exceptions, people intending to travel on to Greenland’s smaller communities will not be allowed to board domestic flights until they’ve completed the two-week quarantine or received their second negative test.The towns and villages excluded from the above domestic travel rule include the following:
- Ilulissat
- Aasiaat
- Qasigiannguit
- Qeqertarsuaq
- Kangerlussuaq
- Maniitsoq
- Sisimiut
- Nuuk
- Paamiut
- Narsaq
- Narsarsuaq
- Qaqortoq
Masks recommended
The government also requires mask or face coverings for passengers over 12 years old or airline crew while in aircraft, as well as in airports and terminal areas.
Greenland has largely kept COVID-19 out of the territory with only 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the pandemic. All individuals have since recovered.
Meanwhile, Denmark has experienced a surge of cases this month, with 392 new cases confirmed on Tuesday alone.
Denmark has reported 27,464 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, with 650 deaths.
Write to Eilís Quinn at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Chamber of Commerce in Canada’s Northwest Territories balks at price tag for new COVID-19 secretariat, CBC News
Finland: Finnair to end flights to five regional airports, including to Kemi, Lapland, Yle News
Denmark: Faroe Islands updates COVID-19 guidelines for travellers, Eye on the Arctic
Greenland: Greenland approves revised COVID-19 strategy, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: Iceland extends bar, nightclub COVID-19 closures in capital area until September 27, Eye on the Arctic
Sweden: Finland, UK to remove travel restrictions on Sweden, Radio Sweden
United States: To stop coronavirus, Arctic communities took matters into their own hands. Can it last?, Blog by Mia Bennett
