Víðir Reynisson, the Director of Civil Protection and one of the three key figures in Iceland’s coronavirus response team, was diagnosed with Covid-19 yesterday afternoon, RÚV reported.
Víðir has been in quarantine since Monday after an infection broke out in his immediate area. The test which he took on Monday came back negative, but yesterday’s test came back positive.
Because Víðir’s first test was negative, there has been no reason to quarantine his closest colleagues. Director of the Directorate of Health Dr. Alma Möller and Chief Epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason, his colleagues on the team, also tested negative on Monday. However, Víðir was the only member of the team obliged to go into quarantine, and as he was not in contact with any of his team members during the 48 hours prior to his positive diagnosis, further quarantining will not be necessary.
This is the second time Víðir Reynisson has had to quarantine during the pandemic. He will remain in isolation for two weeks or until he has received a negative test result.
It is thought that Víðir’s wife infected him with the virus, although it is not known where she contracted it. This news was also reported by RÚV, two hours after the initial news of Víðir’s infection. He is currently asymptomatic.
“We have been taking extremely good care of ourselves for a long time. Very little contact with people. I have not gone shopping, I have not gone anywhere, I just go to work and home,” said Víðir. “So this is one of those random infections.”
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