Double Coronavirus Testing Mandatory at Icelandic Borders
Healthcare workers at Keflavík International Airport. mbl.is/Íris Jóhannsdóttir
Double testing for the coronavirus at Icelandic borders became mandatory on Friday, mbl.is reports. The decision was made by the Icelandic government in light of the rising number of COVID-19 cases abroad.
The decision means that passengers arriving in Iceland must now be tested for the virus upon arrival and again four to five days later, and stay in quarantine until they receive the result of the second test. They may no longer choose to spend 14 days in quarantine instead of being tested.
This rule will be in effect through the end of April.
From Keflavík International Airport. mbl.is/Árni Sæberg
“We are fortunate to have been able to get the most recent wave under control, which is why we want to take these precautionary steps now,” states PM Katrín Jakobsdóttir. “The remarkable patience, understanding and adherence to domestic restrictions, that our people have shown has been key to the progress made so far, as well as success in limiting the inflow of new sources of infection at the border.”
“Arriving passengers who are in possession of valid documentation that proves prior infection or vaccination against covid-19 are exempt from all border measures,” a government statement reads. “Currently, only positive PCR-tests and certificates of presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 from a laboratory within the EEA/EFTA-area or a confirmation from the Chief Epidemiologist in Iceland are accepted. As of now, only the international certificate of vaccination is accepted as proof of vaccination but further conditions and specifications regarding other types of certificates remain to be issued.”
After May 1, careful steps will be taken toward easing restrictions at the border, depending on the COVID-19 situation in the country from which the passengers travel. By then, the measures will be based on regularly updated data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which will risk-assess countries into green, orange and red zones, based on their epidemiological situation.
For more detailed information, see here .
