1,466 New Cases of COVID-19 in Iceland

A total of 1,466 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Iceland yesterday — 1,289 domestic ones and 177 at the border, mbl.is reports. That is the highest number of new cases at the border since the beginning of the pandemic and the second highest number of domestic cases.

The 14-day incidence rate currently stands at 3,057.3 (domestic and border cases combined), according to covid.is — the highest it has ever been.

According to mbl.is, there are 28 COVID-19 patients at Landspítali National University Hospital at present, eight of them in intensive care, including six on ventilators.

At present, 8,641 people in Iceland are in isolation and 6,940 in quarantine.

The COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 5-11 is scheduled to begin in Iceland next week. It is not yet clear where the vaccination will take place. It will likely be done in schools in larger municipalities and at health clinics in smaller ones.

Four hotels in the capital area serve as quarantine facilities and one in Akureyri, North Iceland.

Foreign tourists who are diagnosed when leaving the country, pregnant women whose due date is approaching, and people who cannot stay at home due to permanently ill people living there, are among those who have priority on the waiting list of quarantine facilities in Iceland, mbl.is reports. About 100 people are on the waiting list.

One hundred new rooms became available to people in isolation yesterday at Icelandair Hotel Natura, located by Reykjavík Airport, and another 100 will be added today.

This week, the plan is to open two additional hotels to meet the expected demand. The hiring of staff is underway. Once those two hotels have been added, about 600 people can be accommodated at quarantine facilities in Iceland.