Government Announces Total Relaxation Of Domestic Restrictions, Starting Tomorrow

At a press conference held at 11:00, Icelandic government officials announced total relaxations of domestic coronavirus restrictions, effective tomorrow.

Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir announced that, starting tomorrow, all domestic restrictions—including public gathering limits, masks and restrictions on opening and closing times—will no longer be in effect.

At the border, starting July 1st, samples will no longer be taken for arrivals who have been vaccinated or who had previously contracted the coronavirus.

People will, however, be encouraged to wash their hands and use hand sanitiser. They must also get themselves tested if they show any symptoms of the coronavirus. Such people will be required to go into quarantine while awaiting results, and remain in isolation if they test positive.

Svandís also said that by all indications, everyone in Iceland will be fully vaccinated by late July.

Over 177,000 people are now fully vaccinated in Iceland, with another over 81,000 having received at least one dose of a vaccine, and there have been no domestic cases of the virus in over a week.

Iceland has instituted continuous changes in both domestic restrictions and border requirements throughout the pandemic so far, which touched down in Iceland in late February 2020. With this announcement, 16 months of varying restrictions on social interaction may have at last come to a close.

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