Passengers aboard a private jet that landed in Iceland yesterday have been deported from the country today, RÚV reports.
It is believed that they intended to observe the eruption at Geldingadalur.
The plane left today after the crew had their statutory rest. The plane came from Switzerland with two passengers and two pilots; the people were going to stay for two days.
Worried about tourists visiting the eruption
The chief police officer at Keflavík Airport says that tourists who came into Iceland over the weekend and went to the volcano all had vaccination certificates.
Epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason is worried about foreign tourists who are coming on short breaks to Iceland just to see the volcano; it is believed that many of them are not quarantining.
“Like everyone who came over the weekend with such short bookings, they then had a vaccination certificate or a permanent infection, as a result, those people were fine and were let in,” says Sigurgeir Sigmundsson, chief of police at the Suðurnes Police.
It is not known whether any of those tourists who came this weekend have been able to see the volcanic eruption as they should be in quarantine but it is a concern nonetheless.
Sigurgeir says short bookings stand out after the eruption began as it is obvious they are from tourists who come here to see the eruption. The police are paying special attention to this.
In the red zone
From Thursday, all arrivals from dark red countries, as defined by the European Epidemiological Surveillance Agency, and those who do not have a certificate of vaccination or COVID infection must go to a special government epidemiological centre and stay there for five days.
Sigurgeir says that as it stands, the Treasury will pay for both accommodation and food for the people.
“Those who fall under this new rule go from here by bus and to a hotel. Will they then be locked inside a room for five days? Yes, probably yes, that’s how it is set up,” says Sigurgeir.
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