COVID Roundup: Further Relaxations Of Domestic Restrictions Announced, Latest Numbers

Following a government meeting held this morning, ministers announced further relaxations of pandemic restrictions. These changes are the following, which go into effect at midnight tonight:

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1. The social gathering limit will be raised from 10 people to 50.
2. Social distancing is reduced from two metres to one.
3. Mask rules unchanged.
4. Swimming pools, gyms, and skiiing areas are permitted to accept up to 75% of full capacity.
5. Sporting events will continue to allow up to 50 participants, and attendees are allowed again.
6. The gathering limit in shops can be up to 500 people.
7. Clubs, bars, concert venues and video slots venues are permitted to open again.
8. Restaurants, bars and clubs can receive new guests until 23:00, but everyone must be out by midnight.
9. Up to 500 people may be admitted to seated events, provided a one metre distance is kept between attendees and masks are required.
10. School limitations unchanged.

These rules will be in effect up to and including February 24th.

Where daily numbers are concerned, there were 1,213 recorded domestic cases of the coronavirus in Iceland yesterday, plus an additional 78 at the border.

147 are in border screening quarantine, with 6,726 in quarantine and 11,297 in isolation. There are currently 37 people in hospital with the coronavirus and three in intensive care.

285,974 people aged five and older have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of January 26th, comprising 80% of this age group, or 78% of the total population. 187,623 have also received booster shots.

Getting a booster shot is a very straightforward process, with no barcode required. More information on that can be found here. For your first and second vaccination, you can sign up here.

As always, be sure to abide the domestic restrictions and border regulations.

More information can be found at covid.is/data and, in Icelandic, below. Bear in mind that it may take some time for daily figures to be updated in languages other than Icelandic.