Iceland orders four-day closure of Reykjavik-area bars after uptick in COVID-19 infections
Reykjavik-area bars and nightclubs started a four-day shutdown on Friday as the Icelandic government seeks to put the breaks on a surge in COVID-19 infections.
Iceland’s chief epidemiologist recommended the shutdowns after examining 38 recent cases and finding that at least a quarter of the individuals had visited particular bars or night-clubs in the Reykjavík capital area within the last week.
“It is therefore essential to take immediate action to prevent a significant upsurge in infections with all the consequences that would entail,” the government said in a news release on Friday.
Iceland’s Minister of Health approved the proposal and ordered bars and nightclubs shut from September 18-21.
The order affects businesses in Reykjavik and the nearby towns and municipalities of Mosfellsbaer, Hafnarfjordur, Gardabaer, Kopavogur, Kjosarhreppur and Seltjarnarnes.
As of Friday, Iceland has had 2,230 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths since the pandemic began. Health authorities are reporting 21.8 domestic infections per 100,000 people over the last 14 days.
Write to Eilís Quinn at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
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Sweden: Finland, UK to remove travel restrictions on Sweden, Radio Sweden
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