As RÚV reported this morning, epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason is hoping that coronavirus cases will decrease again over the coming days, following the spike to 77 new cases in a single day which took place on Friday. Þórólfur is able to make this prediction because recent infections have largely been attributed to bars and places of entertainment. It has therefore been possible to trace cases, hopefully stopping the infections at their source.
Meanwhile, Vísír has revealed that the closure of entertainment venues and pubs in the Reykjavík area will continue until at least next weekend. The Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir does not believe that there is any need so far to tighten epidemiological measures in the country beyond this point, however she does urge people to make good individual decisions: for example, washing hands and working remotely if and where possible.
77 cases is the most infections recorded on a single day since April; however, on Saturday just this half this number was recorded, with 39 cases in a single day, so there remains hope that the spike is a one-off.
Chief of police Víðir Reynisson is quoted by Vísír reminding us that “We have to realise that whilst this epidemic is such a big boom in the world, waves like this will happen from time to time.” He also pointed out that whilst numbers of infected people are important in decision making, the number of those people who are actually seriously ill is also significant. We will have to wait and see how many of those infected end up becoming seriously ill.
According to the latest data, there are currently only two people in hospital due to the coronavirus, with no one in intensive care.
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