COVID-19 In Iceland: Virtually Impossible Australian Woman Caught Virus In Iceland

The ABC has reported that a woman in her 30s, returning home last Monday via Dubai after vacationing in Iceland the UK, tested positive for COVID-19.

While this story has since been picked up by Icelandic-language media, there is virtually zero chance that the woman in question contracted the virus in Iceland, due to the timeline of events.

As reported, the first confirmed case of an Icelander with coronavirus came to light on February 28. The man in question became ill in Italy, was tested upon his return, and put into quarantine.

In fact, the 300 people currently in quarantine in Iceland were all people returning from either Italy or Austria, and separated from the general population upon their return.

While we do not know when the Australian woman left Iceland, if she returned to Australia on Monday, chances are very high that she was already out of the country by the time the first Icelanders were diagnosed.

Further, even if she were still in the country on the day these Icelanders were diagnosed, they were all on separate flights from the woman in question, and were separated from the general population.

There are as yet no reported cases of COVID-19 appearing in Iceland—all of the Icelanders so far tested positive have been on one of these two flights.