New COVID-19 border testing regulations coming to Iceland on August 16

Iceland will implement new COVID-19 border testing regulations for some travellers starting August 16. 

The new regulation will apply to fully vaccinated travellers who have ties to Iceland. Those travellers will now be required to undergo a COVID-19 test with 48 hours of arriving in the country.

“This decision has been made in light of the importance of ensuring defences against new variants of the virus,” the government said in a news release on Monday.

“The requirement to submit a negative COVID test at the border will continue to apply, since double testing at an interval of a few days has proven to be helpful during this pandemic.”

Travellers subject to the new regulations will not be required to quarantine while waiting for the test results. The sampling will be free.

Anyone who does not get tested within 48 hours after arriving in the country, will be subject to a fine, although the amount is not specified.

The government said it was implementing the new recommendations as approximately 90 per cent of people infected with COVID-19 since July 1, have been people with Icelandic identification numbers.

In a separate news release on Sunday, the government said children born 2005 and later are still excluded from testing.

As of Monday, Iceland was reporting a 14- day incidence of 429.0 domestic infections per 100,000 people, and 5.7 cases per 100,000 people at the border.

Related stories from around the North: 

Canada: COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Nunavik, Quebec remains low at 28 per cent, Eye on the Arctic

Greenland: Greenland health authorities investigate four new COVID-19 cases in Sisimiut, Eye on the Arctic

Finland: Santa joins former Eurovision winner Lordi at Lapland vaccination clinic to help boost jab uptake in Finland, Yle News

United States: Cruise ship arrives in Skagway, Alaska after passenger flown home with COVID-19, CBC News