COVID Roundup: Epidemiologist Sees Cause To Reduce Restrictions Further, Daily Numbers

At a press conference held yesterday, chief epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason said that while daily coronavirus cases are not really declining, hospitalisations are, and he therefore believes that the government can begin to ease pandemic restrictions, albeit cautiously.

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As reported, Minister of Health Willum Þór Þorsson has intimated that he could ease domestic restrictions further, as early as tomorrow. These relaxations would likely reduce isolation times for those who have tested positive for the coronavirus from seven days to five, and might also ease some restrictions on seated events. Current restrictions on such events include maintaining a one-metre distance, an attendance cap, and a mask requirement.

Where daily numbers are concerned, there were 1,440 recorded domestic cases of the coronavirus in Iceland yesterday, 37% of whom were in quarantine at diagnosis. There were an additional 61 reported cases at the border.

172 are in border screening quarantine, with 7,307 in quarantine and 10,486 in isolation. There are currently 26 people in hospital with the coronavirus and three in intensive care.

277,595 people aged five and older have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of February 2nd, comprising 78% of this age group, or 76% of the total population. 197,027 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.