Iceland Has Dropped All Local COVID-19 Restrictions
Iceland has done well during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its vaccination program, along with the country’s principles of track trace, isolation and quarantine, has truly paid off. This has led to Iceland being the first EU country to drop all local coronavirus restrictions as at June 26. The country has also eased restrictions at its borders for international visitors.
Iceland drops local COVID-19 restrictions
Iceland has scrapped mask wearing, social distancing and group limits and has dropped the strict opening and closing hours after 87 percent of the adult population has had at least one vaccine dose, with 60 percent of the people fully vaccinated. This makes Iceland the first country in Europe to drop all its local restrictions for dealing with virus.
Iceland’s Minister of Health, Svandís Svavarsdóttir said, “Continuous and honest communication between the people and our trusted scientists have contributed mightily to the population’s willingness to take part in the effort to minimize the harms of the pandemic.”
“There has been a focus on maintaining a proper level of vigilance, without either downplaying or exaggerating the risk. We are succeeding by trusting the good sense of the Icelandic people,” she added.
Easing of border restrictions in Iceland
The good news for international travelers is that the country is also easing restrictions at its borders. As from July 1, any traveler presenting an approved digital or paper COVID-19 vaccination certificate from any country will be exempt from border restrictions. They will no longer be obliged to undergo temperature screening, or to produce proof of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival in Iceland.
As for children under the age of 16, they are also welcome to enter Iceland if they can produce proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the form of a health certificate, without needing to submit a negative test result, or undergo quarantine or screening.
However, those travelers who have yet to receive their vaccinations will still need to undergo testing and will need to head into a five-day quarantine on arrival in Iceland.
Víðir Reynisson, Iceland’s Head of Civil Protection, said, “We fully expect that we will continue to detect cases and that small clusters of infection may appear. But we are confident that our contact tracing capabilities, with the public’s willingness to abide by both quarantine and isolation requirements, will prove sufficient to handle any new outbreaks.”
What does Iceland have to offer visitors?
This remarkable country has plenty to offer international travelers, including its gorgeous, unique landscapes, volcanoes, glaciers and waterfalls. Nature-lovers are spoiled for choice here, hiking in the great outdoors, or soaking in a geothermal lagoon when the weather is chilly. The experience of watching the aurora borealis light up the sky in the evenings, or the light of the midnight sun, is truly out of this world.
However, Iceland’s cities are also worth visiting, with excellent restaurants serving the local, healthy cuisine and visual art and live music found everywhere. The locals are friendly and welcoming and mostly speak English, making it easy to communicate and learn more about the country.
For more information on the country’s latest regulations, visit the official website of the Government of Iceland.
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Photo credit: Deposit photos
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