New Quarantine Rules in Iceland

Minister of Health Willum Þór Þórsson.

Minister of Health Willum Þór Þórsson. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon

Vala Hafstað

A new regulation regarding quarantine took effect in Iceland on Friday, according to mbl.is and the government website. It applies to two groups of people, that is,

  • to those who have been vaccinated three times and who received the booster shot more than 14 days prior to being exposed to COVID-19,
  • and to those who have recovered from a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have been vaccinated twice, as long as the second shot was received more than 14 days prior to being exposed to COVID-19.

 The new rules affect the aforementioned groups in the following ways:

  • They may attend work or school and seek essential services, such as healthcare, going to grocery stores and drug stores, and they may use public transportation.
  • They are prohibited from attending public gatherings or places where more than 20 people convene, with the exceptions listed above.
  • They must use a face mask when around others, except those with whom they have close ties, and must do so even when the 2-meter social distancing rule can be respected.
  • They are not allowed to visit healthcare institutions, including nursing homes, unless they receive permission from the relevant institution.
  • They must avoid being around individuals who are at increased risk for severe illness if infected with COVID-19.

The restrictions listed above apply until negative results of a PCR tests, taken on the fifth day of quarantine, have been confirmed. Quarantine is never shorter than five days. 

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