Norway advises against all foreign travel amid virus outbreak

Norway advised its citizens on Saturday not to travel abroad for the next month and urged Norwegians outside the country to consider returning home as soon as possible due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was making the recommendation due to the spreading virus and the risk that other nations will restrict travel. "Countries can quickly introduce travel restrictions, quarantine at arrival from countries with coronavirus, and borders can close, flights could be canceled or other measures initiated," Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said.

Oslo's main airport shut its gates to foreign travelers on Friday, a local municipality said, citing new restrictions from the government and Norwegian health authorities. The government invoked emergency powers on Thursday to shut a range of private and public institutions, including schools and restaurants, and asked most people to work from home if they could.

The central bank made an emergency rate cut on Friday and pumped money into banks, while the government presented a package of fiscal and regulatory measures to aid the economy.