Faroe Islands institutes new COVID-19 recommendations until the end of 2020

Tórshavn, the largest community in the Faroe Islands. While countries in the European Union, Norway and Iceland hasve seen their trade relations with Russia suffer because of sanctions and anti-sanctions, Faroese exports to Russia have gone up. (iStock)
Torshavn, the Faroe Islands’ capital city, in an undated photo. Government authorities say everyone is welcome home to the Faroe Islands for Christmas but says double testing upon arrival and respecting public health directives will be key, including limiting gatherings to no more than 20 people. (iStock)
The Faroe Islands has instituted new COVID-19 recommendations this month, including advising against non essential travel overseas, that it says will remain in effect until the end of the 2020.

The government is also advising all travellers to get tested three days before departure to the region to avoid brining COVID-19 to the islands.

Upon arrivial, COVID-19 tests are obligatory both for visitors and Faroese, except for children under 12 years old. Test results are given within 24 hours and people are required to remain in quarantine until they’ve been informed whether they have COVID-19 or not.

If negative, the government says a second follow up test should still be taken six days after arrival in order to avoid false negative results. Between the test on arrival and the second test at six days, the government advises people to avoid social gatherings and going to work if an individual cannot isolate from co-workers.

A message system is also being put in place to send out SMS or email reminders to people to remind them to be tested on day six.

Home for Christmas is OK, say authorities
View of the Vaga airport in the Faroe Islands in 2007. Two COVID-19 tests are required after arrival. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

Government authorities say everyone is welcome home to the Faroe Islands for Christmas but says double testing upon arrival and respecting public health directives will be key, including limiting gatherings to no more than 20 people.

Tests costs approximately 390-500 Danish kroner ($81-$104 CDN).

The new recommendations this month came into effect on November 13.

Write to Eilís Quinn at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca 

Related stories from around the North:

Canada: Travel ‘bubble’ in northern Canada between N.W.T. and Nunavut suspended until further notice, CBC News

Greenland: Greenland adds new incentive to promote domestic tourism as international travel craters, Eye on the Arctic

Iceland: New COVID-19 restrictions for Iceland’s schools and universities, Eye on the Arctic

Sweden: Sweden’s northernmost county among regions to introduce stricter COVID-19 recommendations, Radio Sweden

United States: After early containment success, there’s now rapid COVID-19 spread in rural Alaska, including the Arctic, Alaska Public Media

Eilís Quinn, Eye on the Arctic

Eilís Quinn is an award-winning journalist and manages Radio Canada International’s Eye on the Arctic news cooperation project. Eilís has reported from the Arctic regions of all eight circumpolar countries and has produced numerous documentary and multimedia series about climate change and the issues facing Indigenous peoples in the North.

Her investigative report "Death in the Arctic: A community grieves, a father fights for change," about the murder of Robert Adams, a 19-year-old Inuk man from Arctic Quebec, received the silver medal for “Best Investigative Article or Series” at the 2019 Canadian Online Publishing Awards. The project also received an honourable mention for excellence in reporting on trauma at the 2019 Dart Awards in New York City.

Her report “The Arctic Railway: Building a future or destroying a culture?” on the impact a multi-billion euro infrastructure project would have on Indigenous communities in Arctic Europe was a finalist at the 2019 Canadian Association of Journalists award in the online investigative category.

Her multimedia project on the health challenges in the Canadian Arctic, "Bridging the Divide," was a finalist at the 2012 Webby Awards.

Her work on climate change in the Arctic has also been featured on the TV science program Découverte, as well as Le Téléjournal, the French-Language CBC’s flagship news cast.

Eilís has worked for media organizations in Canada and the United States and as a TV host for the Discovery/BBC Worldwide series "Best in China."

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