Disease Control Measures Can Be Relaxed Next Week, Says Minister Of Health

In what will come as good news to many, the Minister of Health, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, has stated that she thinks it will be possible to relax disease control measures considerably by the end of next week, Vísir reports.

Chief epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason has also stated that the latest operations at the border have been successful.

This morning, Svandís decided to extend the regulation on disease control restrictions by a week due to recommendations from the epidemiologist. After that, measures can be relaxed.

The light at the end of the tunnel

“We have good control of the border, but we see a large increase in the number of people entering there. The vaccinations are going very well. So I believe that next week we will have all the prerequisites to take a step towards lifting restrictions. After all, it is in accordance with our plans,” says the Minister of Health.

Svandís says that most people who have been diagnosed are in quarantine which is good for the country.

Þórólfur has said that people do need to be careful, even when the relaxations are put in place, saying, “We have just had some group infections going on and we are still diagnosing people in connection with these group infections. As happened yesterday, for example. I think we should be careful and try to keep this success. Continue to lift rather than go too fast and then have to back off.”

The vacci-nation

The Minister of Health and the Chief Epidemiologist are both very satisfied with the course of vaccinations and expect that herd immunity will be achieved in July.

“I think it is very realistic that we can embark on further lifting next week,” says Þórólfur. He hopes that the group infections that have been rampant in the past are being overcome.

“Still, we are identifying individuals who did not appear in the tracking but are related to these group infections. So the virus is still out there and that’s what I want to remind you of,” says the epidemiologist.

The latest operations at the border have been successful as fewer people are being diagnosed when entering the country. The strict measures do however involve a great deal of work for all those involved.

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