Iceland confirmed its third COVID-19 case yesterday evening. Some 300 individuals are in home-based quarantine in the country, according to a notice from authorities. All three cases of COVID-19 in the country are Icelanders who recently returned from skiing trips in Northern Italy. All three live in the capital area.
Iceland’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed last Friday, and the individual set in quarantine at the National University Hospital’s Infectious Diseases ward in Reykjavík. Two further cases were confirmed yesterday: a man in his fifties and a woman in her forties, both of whom had returned to Iceland yesterday on Icelandair flights. The airline has decided to distribute flyers to all passengers with information on the virus.
The Icelandic man who tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday was flying from Verona, Italy, which has been defined as a high-risk zone. All of his fellow passengers have been recommended to quarantine themselves at home for 14 days. The woman, on the other hand, was flying from Munich, which is not defines as a high-risk zone. Only passengers sitting close to her in the aeroplane, and those who were also travelling from Italy, have been recommended to take further precautions as regards to the risk of contagion.
As of the time of writing, Icelandic authorities have defined China, Italy (as of Saturday, February 29), South Korea, and Iran as areas with a high risk of infection and have advised against travelling to the countries. Individuals who have been in the countries in the past few days and are in Iceland are advised to stay at home for 14 days as a precaution.
For the most up to date information on COVID-19 in Iceland, visit the website of the Directorate of Health.
