Iceland to require two tests in addition to quarantine period

All passengers arriving in Iceland will be subject to a coronavirus test at Raykjavik Airport from Wednesday August 19th. Travellers are then required to quarantine for 5 days, after which another coronavirus test must be taken.

By taking these precautions, the country aims to prevent someone entering the country with a false negative test. Taking the test twice with a self-isolation period in between would reduce the risk that a test result is incorrect. Travellers who do not wish to undergo a test can choose to stay in self-isolation for 14 days. The rules regarding suitable quarantine locations and self-isolation can be found here.

Anyone who wants to enter the country must still register in advance. Coronavirus infections are on the rise again – both abroad and in Iceland specifically. Since July 23, two clusters of infections have arisen in the country. One could be contained immediately, while the contamination rate of the other hotbed could be significantly reduced. The infection rate over the past fourteen days is currently 21 per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 27 per 100,000 inhabitants previously.

No one is excluded from the new measures, including travellers from countries previously marked “safe”. This is because these countries are also seeing an increase in the number of corona infections. Only children born in 2005 and later are excluded from the measures.