Seventy-five domestic cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed on Friday, the highest number of infections that Iceland has had in a single day since April 1, when 99 cases were diagnosed. RÚV reports that half of those diagnosed with the virus were already in quarantine.
Young People Make Up Majority of COVID-19 Infections
Of the 135 people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 over the last week, 70 of them are aged 18 – 29 and 40 are aged 30 to 39. Seven children aged six to 12 have also been diagnosed with the virus.
Currently, all but two positive infections are located in the capital area. Roughly a third of those are connected to bars and clubs in downtown Reykjavík. People who went to the Irishman Pub on Klapparstígur on Friday, September 11 between 4pm and 11pm were asked to come in for COVID-19 testing after several cases were traced to the bar, but the pub is not the only venue that group infections have been traced to.
See Also: Capital-Area Bars and Clubs Closed Over Weekend
“The main point in all of this, of course, is that we have to do all the things now that we did so well this spring,” remarked Víðir Reynisson, Chief Superintendent of Civil Protection. “We need to be careful about who we meet. We need to avoid crowds, keep our distance, and our own disease prevention efforts are really important right now. No matter what actions are taken now [by authorities], each and every one of us needs to take our own action, and do so immediately.”
Víðir confirmed that it is likely that gathering bans and social distancing requirements will get stricter in the coming days, but said that precisely what measures would be taken was still being considered by Chief Epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason and his advisors, based on such factors as the seriousness of the current cases and further information about how the virus has spread.
“It’s clear, however,” concluded Víðir, “that these measures will primarily center around the capital area.”
One Hundred and Thirty-Five Cases Diagnosed in Last Five Days
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, positive diagnoses of the virus have exceeded 75 seven times. The highest number of cases to be diagnosed in one day was 106 on March 24.
Over the last five days, 135 cases of COVID-19 have been detected. At time of writing, 181 people were in isolation and 765 in quarantine. Two people have been hospitalized. Incidence of domestic infection is currently 41.7 per 100,000 inhabitants.
On Friday, 3,629 people were tested for COVID-19, 1,186 of whom were showing symptoms of the virus. Just under 5% of those who were showing symptoms tested positive.
