COVID-19 In Iceland: Double Screening And 4-5 Day Quarantine For All Arrivals

From August 19th, all travellers arriving in Iceland will be required to undergo two COVID-19 screenings and quarantine for 4-5 days in between tests, the health ministry announced today.

Arrivals will be tested once at the border and a second time several days later. Until they have received the results of the second testing 4-5 days later, they will be required to quarantine. The changes will be implemented no later than August 19th.

Previously several countries had been exempt from border screenings, this is no longer the case. The only passengers who are exempt from the new rules are those born in 2005 or later.

Until now the double screening requirement only applied to returning Icelandic citizens and residents and visitors staying longer than 10 days. According to a government statement the decision was taken in response to the current second wave of COVID-19 infections in Iceland and raising incidence rates abroad.

There are currently 112 active infections in Iceland, one individual was diagnosed domestically yesterday. One patient is receiving hospital care and 646 people are in quarantine according to covid.is.