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Covid.is English Language Data Page Displays Incorrect Information
The English-language data page on covid.is has displayed different information to that on the Icelandic-language page two days in a row. At the time of writing the English-language page is not showing correct updated data, as the screenshot below demonstrates. It states…
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RVK Newscast #15: A Screening Slip Up
Poppy Askham explains the latest development in Iceland’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic: six new domestic infections following an administrative mix-up over the rules for returning Icelandic travellers. Plus a fresh controversy surrounding the US ambassador to Iceland and yet more earthquakes.…
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COVID-19 In Iceland: Six Domestic Cases Following Screening Mix-Up
Six new domestic COVID-19 infections were reported on July 26th in connection with an Icelandic traveller who bypassed more stringent procedures for returning Icelandic citizens due to an administrative misunderstanding, Fréttablaðið reports. The Icelander travelled to the country from the Baltics on July…
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Abandoned Iceland #14: The Laugavegur Hike Day 4
The fourth and final day! There’ll be canyons, caves, hot pools and gulp the last glacier river. Will we make it to Þórsmörk in one piece? Tune in to find out. Can’t get enough of all the hiking action? Checkout the Laugavegur…
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COVID-19 In Iceland: First Domestic Infections In 3 Weeks, Data Update Changes
Two domestic COVID-19 infections were detected yesterday, July 23rd. These are the first domestic infections since July 2nd. There are now 10 people in isolation and Iceland’s incidence rate is 0.5 cases per 100,000 over the last 14 days. One of the…
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Abandoned Iceland #13: The Laugavegur Hike Day 3
Ever wanted to see two Grapevine writers cross a glacier river and make a big ol’ fuss about it? Well you’re in luck. Day three of the Laugavegur trail sees us face two chilly rivers, a concerning coffee shortage and an awful…
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Iceland’s COVID-19 Incidence Rate Amongst Europe’s Lowest
Iceland has a COVID-19 incidence rate of just 2.2 cases per 100,000 over the last 14-days, according to covid.is, placing the nation amongst the countries with the lowest infection rates in Europe. The official Icelandic coronavirus website has begun displaying the country’s…
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Abandoned Iceland #12: The Laugavegur Hike Day 2
On day 2 we traverse 12km from Hrafntinnnusker in the snowy highlands to the stunning lakeside campsite, Alftavatn. There’ll be jaw-dropping vistas, very windy tents and even some geothermally cooked hotdogs! To read about our full experience and see some fantastic photos…
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COVID-19 Restriction Easing: Gatherings Of Up To 1000 From August 4th
Gatherings of up to 1000 will be allowed and entertainment venues will be permitted to open until midnight from August 4th, provided the government approves Chief Epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason’s most recent recommendations for easing COVID-19 restrictions. Þórólfur submitted his proposal for the…
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The Laugavegur Trail Diaries: A Tale Of Snow, Steam And Sunburns
Stretching 54 km between the geothermal hot pools of Landmannalaugar and the luscious Þórsmörk valley, the Laugavegur trail is something of a rite of passage for Icelanders. Complete it and you enter an elite class of hikers—at least that’s what we told…
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Abandoned Iceland #11: The Laugavegur Hike Day 1
Stretching 54 km between the geothermal hot pools of Landmannalaugar and the luscious Þórsmörk valley, the Laugavegur trail is Iceland’s best-loved hikes. So we decided it was high time a group of Grapevine adventurers took on the challenge. Tune in for snow…
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Beyond Words: Reykjavík’s City Libraries Use Art To Foster Interculturalism
Some Reykjavik residents wish they could emulate Lizzo; others dream of skydiving or travelling to space. Yet more merely hanker after a dozen parakeets and a bunch of grapes. Or at least that’s what the Reykjavik City Library’s collaborative collage “I Wish…
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Investigation Into Continued Oil Leakage From WW2 Wreck In Seyðisfjörður
The Coast Guard is investigating a new oil spill from a wrecked British WW2 tanker in Seyðisfjörður in east Iceland just two months after a major project to stop leakage was completed. As reported in May, the Coast Guard oversaw an initiative…
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Capitalists, Celebrate: Your Guide To Merchants’ Weekend 2020
Legend has it that every year on the first weekend of August a great and mighty Icelandic boat dude would disembark his vessel and pass out on the shoreline after a couple of brennivin-fuelled choruses of “Ja Ja Ding Dong.” And thus…
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Horror-Scopes: Come Out, Capricorn! (PRIDE EDITION!)
In HorrorScopes, the Grapevine’s dedicated team of amateur astrologists break down your upcoming weeks based on shit like the allegedly-feminine-but-actually-full-of-toxic-atmospheric-vapour planet “Venus.” Aries Kiki’s renovated. You just got your new Wigs by Vanity and you’re ready to bitch about whoever wins ‘RuPaul’s…
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RVK Newscast #13: Laugavegur By Night
In this episode we take a stroll down the busy Laugavegur highstreet at 23:00 – the time bars and clubs are forced to close due to the current COVID-19 restricitions. Tune in to hear about Inspired By Iceland’s strange new campaign, the…
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Music News: Björk’s Back, New Myrkfælni Record Label And More
Atli Örvarsson Releases New Album Film buffs—basically anyone with good taste—will be familiar with Icelandic composer Atli Örvarsson. Atli has spent the last 15 years living the LA dream, but recently he returned home to the icy climes of Akureyri. The result?…
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New In Town: Mama, A Plant-Based Restaurant With Big Dreams
Nothing tastes better than ethics, which is why we can’t wait to try the rainbow salad and “nicecream” bowls at Mama, a plant-based restaurant with big dreams. The company is proudly environmentalist—they hope to use their profits to invest into land so…
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Herb Your Enthusiasm: Foraging Forays With Anna Rósa
Anna Rósa has almost thirty years of experience as a herbalist and skincare specialist, and most notably for our purposes, she’s an expert on Icelandic foraging. “I came across this article in the newspaper about a herbalist,” Anna Rósa explains, casually sipping…
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A Soundtrack To Get Thrown Out Of Society To: Skoffín Drops New Album
In IÐNÓ’s airy attic space, overlooking Tjörnin, Jóhannes (Jói) Bjarki Bjarkason, Bjarni Daníel, Auðunn Orri Sigurvinsson and Sævar Andri Sigurðarson sit comfortably, sporting electric blue boiler suits and sipping coffee as they reflect on their band’s new album, ‘Skoffín hentar íslenskum aðstæðum’.…
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New Data On Icelandic Greenhouse Gas Emissions Paints A Mixed Picture
Statistics Iceland has published new data on Icelandic greenhouse gas emissions that show a modest decline in emissions from most industries. As the graph above shows, all major sectors of the Icelandic economy, with the exception of construction and mining, saw a…
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New Data Reveals Scale Of Summer Slump For Icelandic Tourism Sector
The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent international travel restrictions have had a devastating impact on Iceland’s large tourism sector, a fact recent data published by Statistics Iceland throws into sharp relief. The number of passengers arriving at Keflavik Airport this June fell by…
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RVK Newscast #12: A Border Bonanza With Added Earthquakes
There’s some big changes coming when it comes to COVID-19 travel restrictions – 14 new countries will be allowed to enter the country and nationals from 4 countries will be exempt from screening entirely. Plus we talk earthquakes and Húsavík, a small…
