The first fine for a quarantine violation was issued in the capital area on Friday, RÚV reports. The fine recipient recently flew into Iceland from abroad but was not abiding by the mandatory 14-day quarantine that all Icelandic residents must observe upon arriving in the country, regardless of where they travelled from. The person was fined ISK 50,000 ($350/€320).
Fines related to social distancing regulations were instated in late March. Fines can be issued for violating mandatory quarantine or isolation, attending a gathering of more than 20 people, or organising such a gathering. The fine amounts depend on the severity of the infraction. The highest possible fine for not staying in quarantine for the mandatory 14 days is ISK 250,000 ($1,740/€1,600).
RÚV has confirmed that police were working on the first gathering ban fines last week, but was unable to confirm the number of citations or the fine amounts. (Anyone who attends a gathering of 20 or more people can be fined ISK 50,000 ($360/€320), while the organiser of the event can be fined up to ISK 500,000 ($3,590/€3,240).
Civil Protection and Emergency Management Division manager Víðir Reynisson told reporters that reports of gathering ban violations did not increase after authorities announced that COVID-19 infections are on the decline in Iceland, and yet, he said, it still seemed that many people are “behaving like cows in springtime.”
