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Plans Being Made Around Possible Vaccine
Although there is not yet any certainty surrounding the hope to starting vaccinating Icelanders in the first half of next year, plans are already being made around the possibility. According to Vísir, the Directorate of Health is planning to buy vaccines for…
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Covid-19 Roundup: 10 New Cases
Ten new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed domestically yesterday. Six of them were already quarantined at the time of diagnosis. When the numbers were first announced this morning, covid.is read that there were three new cases–this number has now been updated to…
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Covid-19 Roundup: 4 New Cases, 1 Death
Four new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed domestically yesterday. Of these, two were already quarantined at the time of diagnosis. This is the second lowest number to be diagnosed in a single day since the 13th of September, suggesting that the curve…
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Sigur Rós’s Agent Speaks Out
Sigur Rós’s agent Dean O’Connor has spoken out about the band’s treatment in Iceland in the aftermath of their tax evasion scandal, RÚV reported yesterday afternoon. He said that the band have never felt that their contribution has been valued in Iceland,…
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Search For A Man Who Was Not Missing Called Off
50 rescue workers were called out to Breiðdalsvík at around 20:00 last night to search for a man who turned out not to be missing, RÚV reported. The police confirmed that the search was based on a misunderstanding: “In modern society, there…
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Unemployment Particularly Bad for Poles
At the end of October, there were 4,063 unemployed Poles in Iceland, Vísir reported this morning. More than 20,000 Poles live in Iceland, which means that a little over one in every five Poles are unemployed. They also make up 20% of…
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Bus Passengers Must Wear Masks Despite Antibodies
Strætó has confirmed that passengers will continue to be obliged to wear a mask on the company’s buses, regardless of whether or not they are in possession of a certificate that proves they have already had Covid-19, Fréttablaðið reported this morning. This…
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Unemployment Now Higher Than After 2008 Bank Collapse
The Directorate of Labour estimates that unemployment will be at 11.3% in December, compared to 9.3% when the bank collapse peaked in February and March 2009, Kjarninn reported over the weekend. This was stated in a new monthly report from the Directorate…
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Covid-19 Roundup: 7 New Infections
7 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed domestically yesterday. Of those, 6 were already quarantined at the time of diagnosis. The last five days have mostly seen daily positive test figures remain below 10–something we hadn’t previously seen since the beginning of September.…
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Iceland Losing Faith: Four Out Of Ten Icelanders Still Consider Themselves Believers
A Maskína survey has revealed that four out of ten Icelanders consider themselves believers in some religious faith, according to Fréttablaðið. It also showed that supporters of the People’s Party are more likely to be believers than supporters of other political parties.…
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Double Screening At Border Likely To Be Made Compulsory
The current arrangement at the border, whereby passengers can choose to either quarantine for fourteen days or undergo a double screening which limits their quarantine to just five days, is valid until the 1st of December. According to Vísir, epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason…
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Covid-19 Roundup: 9 New Cases
Nine new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed domestically yesterday. Six of those were already quarantined at the time of diagnosis, according to Vísir. This follows 17 confirmed positive tests on Friday and 3 on Saturday. Three of the last four days have…
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Gods Of Iceland: Týr, The Tough Guy
Superpowers: Combat, courage, not even blinking even if you remove his limbs. Weaknesses: Sorry, did you say “weaknesses”? Modern Analogue: Arnold Schwarzenegger beating up aliens in Predator. Týr was the God of War and Justice. He made the baddest monsters quake in…
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Covid-19 Roundup: 18 New Cases
18 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed domestically yesterday. According to Vísir, 14 of them–or 78%–were already quarantine at the time of diagnosis. Over the past five days, four days have seen case numbers below 20. There are now 63 people in…
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Falcon Bites Off More Than It Can Chew
A falcon was unable to fly after eating an entire hooded gull in Fossvogur yesterday, RÚV reported last night. Þórdís Bragadóttir was working from home when a loud thud against the garden window distracted her: a gull had flown into the window…
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Ban On Prison Visits Met With Frustration
Visits to Litla-Hraun and Hólmsheiði prisons have been banned for a total of 156 days (5.2 months) since the coronavirus epidemic began in March, according to Vísir. In open prisons, the ban has totalled slightly less than this at 128 days. This…
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Covid-19 Roundup: 26 New Cases
26 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed domestically yesterday. According to Vísir, 19 of these–or 73%–were already quarantine at the time of diagnosis. 26 is a small spike compared to the previous three days, which all saw case numbers below 20; however,…
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Possibility Of Vaccinations In Iceland Early Next Year
The Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir has said that the government will have everything ready for the coronavirus vaccination at the beginning of next year, provided that the vaccine proves safe and an agreement is reached on the purchase of it, according…
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New National Park To Open In Westfjords
The Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources wants to establish a new national park in the Westfjords, RÚV reported this morning. The plan is to open the park on June 17th next year. This would be the first national park on…
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Covid-19 Roundup: 11 New Cases, 1 More Death
11 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed domestically yesterday. Of those, 5–or about 45%–were in quarantine at the time of diagnosis, according to Vísir. This is a lower proportion than is usually in quarantine at the time of diagnosis; however, 11 is…
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Hillary Clinton At Reykjavík Global Forum Says Gender Equality Has Long Way To Go
Hillary Clinton spoke yesterday at the Reykjavík Global Forum, which is currently taking place online between the 9th and 11th of November. Fréttablaðið reported on the story here. The Global Forum gives the following objective on its website: “The 2020 edition of…
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Eagle Under Arrest In The Westfjords!
The police in the Westfjords have “arrested” a twelve-year-old eagle after it got into trouble over the weekend, Vísir reported yesterday. Apparently, this is the second time police have had to intervene with this particular eagle, and he is back behind bars.…
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Covid-19 Roundup: 16 New Cases, 5 Deaths Over Weekend
16 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed domestically yesterday, according to Vísir. 14 of them–or 87.5%–were in quarantine at the time of diagnosis. This follows 13 diagnoses recorded on Saturday and 25 on Friday. Daily cases have remained below 30 everyday so…
