COVID-19
Most read
Latest
-
STAYHOME WORLDTOUR 2020: Send Us Your Positive Stories!
Let’s not beat around the bush: This is a difficult time for all of us. Some are dealing with a debilitating virus or watching their friends and family members do so. Others are battling the mental effects and existential crisises that go…
-
Almost 10,000 Sign Up For Reduced Employment Benefit On The First Day
The Icelandic Labour Department received 9,670 application for reduced rate of employment benefits by 14:00 yesterday, the day registration opened, according to a statement released on the Cabinet’s website. Last week, the government announced measures designed to support workers through the COVID-19…
-
Husband of Icelandic COVID-19 Victim Fighting For His Life
The husband of the 71-year-old Icelandic woman with asthma who died from COVID-19 on Monday March 23rd—the first Icelander to do so—is seriously ill, Stundin reports. The 75-year-old man has been put on a respirator in Landspítali hospital. He has had no…
-
The Blue Lagoon Lays Off 164 Workers Due To COVID-19
164 Blue Lagoon workers have been laid off as the company deals with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak in Iceland, reports Morgunblaðið. These firings come following the recent decision to close the Blue Lagoon until at least April 30th. The…
-
Huge Breakthrough In Search For COVID-19 Testing Swabs
6,000 nasal swabs required for COVID-19 screenings have been discovered at Landspítali hospital. This is a huge breakthrough as Iceland has been experiencing severe difficulties obtaining swabs in recent days. Speaking to Morgunblaðið, the head physician at the hopsital’s department of medical…
-
COVID-19 Spreading Slower In Iceland
Good news! COVID-19 is spreading slower in Iceland than in most other countries in the Schengen region. This is despite the fact that there are proportionally more tests conducted here than in most other places. Only the Faroe Islands have reported more…
-
COVID-Cast #9: 800 With The Virus & Massive Cocaine Shortage
Icelanders are now close to 1,000 individuals with COVID-19, and the government is preparing for a back up hospital. Valur Grettisson, editor-in-chief at the Reykjavík Grapevine and Sveinbjörn Pálsson, our art director, go through the news and updates about the virus in…
-
COVID-19: More Optimistic Future Predicted By Experts
Experts at the University of Iceland are predicting a more optimistic future in regards to COVID-19. Vísir reports that according to the new forecast model by the University of Iceland, between 1,500 and 2,300 Icelanders are expected to be diagnosed with COVID-19.…
-
FREAK OUT! Massive Cocaine Shortage In Iceland
Bad news, party hounds: There is a serious shortage of cocaine in Iceland. Following an almost complete cessation of travel into the country, the drug market has essentially run dry. According to Fréttablaðið, illegal drugs in Iceland come from abroad—something you’d expect…
-
Reykjavík Residents Fight COVID-19 With Teddy Bears
Residents of Reykjavík are placing teddy bears in their windows as part of a new game for children. The objective? Simply spot the stuffed animals and let the entertainment begin. For those kids unable to hang out with their friends or go…
-
COVID-Cast #8: First Icelandic Death, Spike In Transmission & Almost 10,000 In Quarantine
In this episode, we discuss the recent spike in COVID-19 transmissions. Iceland is currently headed towards higher numbers than initial predictions told. We also recently experienced the first death of an Icelander from COVID-19. As well, we talk about the almost 10,000…
-
COVID-19 Screening Swab Shortage Continues
20,000 nasal swabs provided by Icelandic manufacturer Össur have been declared unfit for use in COVID-19 testing, RÚV reports. This comes as a blow to deCODE and the National University Hospital as both are struggling to source the swabs required in coronavirus…
-
Icelandic Olympian Speaks Out About Coronavirus Shame
Icelandic Olympian pole vaulter, Þórey Edda Elísdóttir, opened up in an interview with Vísir yesterday about the shame she experienced after finding out that she could have unknowingly transmitted COVID-19 to several others in her community. Þórey and her husband are currently…
-
COVID-19 Tracking App In Development
Officials are developing an app that will help to track potential COVID-19 infections. The app will use GPS to locate people who may have been in close contact with confirmed coronavirus patients during the asymptomatic phase of infection, Vísir reports. It is…
-
Sportacus Offers Words Of Hope To Icelanders
Magnús Scheving, perhaps better known as Sportacus from the Icelandic children’s TV show, Lazy Town, has offered his insight into the Icelandic response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In an interview with Heimi Karlsson and Gulla Helga on the í Bítið programme on…
-
Patient Infected With Two Strains of COVID-19 In Iceland
It’s been confirmed that an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 in Iceland has been infected by two strains of the virus simultaneously. The second strain is a mutation of the original novel coronavirus. It is thought that this could be the…
-
Changes to Strætó Services Due To COVID-19
The Strætó bus service has announced new measures to keep both drivers and passengers safe during the COVID-19 outbreak. Passengers in the capital area are now prohibited from entering buses through the front doors and there is a tape barrier roping off…
-
COVID-Cast #7: 20 Person Gathering Ban, Travel Restrictions & Parliament Infections
The start of a new week in Iceland comes with a whole host of new measures in the fight against COVID-19. Travel restrictions, a new 20 person gathering ban and the closure of swimming pools, sports centres, libraries and entertainment venues have…
-
COVID-19 Update: 588 Cases, Iceland Steps Up Response, MP Infected
As the government continues to ramp up its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, here are the latest developments in the Iceland’s battle against the virus. It is Monday, March 23rd at the time of writing. Today’s data At the time of writing,…
-
Kári Stefánsson Slams Data Protection Authority For Weekend Inaction
Over the weekend deCODE CEO, Kári Stefánsson took to Facebook to air his grievances with the Icelandic Data Protection Authority. In a lengthy tirade, he berated officials for taking the weekend off whilst deCODE’s application to release new COVID-19 research was being…
-
Gathering Ban Update: No More Than 20 People At A Time In An Establishment
Tighter restrictions are being levied upon the people in Iceland in the form of a stricter gathering ban, which takes effect at midnight tonight. These restrictions state that no more than 20 people may gather at a time, which is a heavy…
-
Member of Parliament Diagnosed With COVID-19
Smári McCarthy of the Pirate Party in Parliament has been diagnosed with COVID-19 over the weekend, according to his Facebook page. He went into self-quarantine over a week ago, when he noticed that he was getting a cough, and on Friday went…
-
Covid-Cast #6: First Covid-19 death confirmed and more than 400 with the virus
About 400 people have the Covid-19 virus in Iceland now, the first Covid-19-related death has been confirmed, and a crew on a trawler has the virus. Also, Iceland have agreed to participate in the EU travel ban. This information is not in…