Iceland: Countering the pandemic, bringing life back to normal

The Keys to Iceland’s Success Here’s the latest news from the global pandemic. Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir Bloomberg.com

While the rest of the world grapples with mass vaccinations and fear of the new coronavirus variants, life in Iceland is getting closer to normal.

Since the beginning of the month, not a single person has been diagnosed with Covid-19 domestically apart from a handful of people who were already in quarantine.

Starting Wednesday, the inhabitants of this island nation of 364,000 are allowed to gather in groups of 50, and public venues such as theaters and sporting events may have up to 200 spectators. Pubs and restaurants may open subject to some limitations, while masks are still mandatory in public places.

Iceland’s handling of the pandemic is regarded as one of the best in the world. So what what went right?

For one thing, unlike in some other countries, there was cooperation between the government and scientists. Public information about the outbreak was coordinated in a steady flow through daily televised briefings held jointly by the police and health authorities.

Thorolfur Gudnason, the nation’s chief epidemiologist, said in an interview that he largely attributes its success to the public’s participation in following instructions, such as wearing masks and adhering to two meter (six foot) social distancing.

“The other thing,” he said, “is the measures we have been doing on our borders.” 

Already in June, Iceland launched testing at the borders for arriving passengers as an alternative to undergoing a 14-day self-quarantine, and in August authorities introduced double testing, one upon arrival and the latter following a five-day quarantine. And last week, a new requirement to present a negative test taken within 72 hours of departure to Iceland was added to the mix. ...