Departures of international passengers* from Iceland via Keflavik Airport were close to 480 thousand in 2020 or roughly 1,5 million fewer than 2019, according to figures from the Icelandic Tourist Board and Isavia. The annual decrease is 75.9%. We need to go back 10 years to see similar figures in departures of international passengers.

As from tomorrow, Wednesday, 13 January 2021, children born in 2005 or later will be required to go into quarantine along with their parents or guardians after entering Iceland under a new regulation on quarantine, isolation and testing at Iceland’s border to combat COVID-19 that has been issued by the Minister of Health.

Gatherings will be restricted to a maximum of 20 persons and health and fitness centres and skiing facilities will be able to open again. Sporting activities will be permitted for both children and adults, subject to certain restrictions; the same will apply to sports competitions, which will proceed without spectators.

The Minister of Health has decided on changes to the preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, taking effect on 10 December 2020. On that date, some cautious relaxations will be made to the restrictions on the size of gatherings, and the new rules will remain in force until 12 January 2021. The rules applying in schools will continue unchanged, for the most part, until the end of the year; it is planned to announce new rules shortly that will take effect in schools on 1 January 2021.

The Icelandic Government has announced that current border measures to limit the influx of COVID-19 infections will remain mostly unchanged until 1 February next year. These measures include a choice between a fourteen-day quarantine period or a double screening process, with a five-day quarantine required between a border test and a second test.

The Minister of Health has decided that testing of travellers for COVID-19 at Iceland’s borders is to be free of charge, on a temporary basis, from 1 December 2020 until 31 January 2021. This is in line with recommendations from the Chief Epidemiologist. The aim of the move is to encourage people to be tested rather than to commit to a period in quarantine, so reducing the likelihood that they will bring the infection with them into the country. The matter was discussed and approved at a cabinet meeting on 17 November.

The Minister of Health has approved proposals from the Chief Epidemiologist regarding tighter measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, which take effect on Saturday, 31 October 2020. The same rules will apply throughout Iceland. The main change introduced now is that the maximum size of gatherings is reduced from 20 to 10 persons. All sporting activities and stage performances are suspended. It is envisaged that these stricter rules will remain in force until 17 November (including that date); they will be reviewed in the light of developments with a view to whether it will be possible to relax them earlier or necessary to extend the period for a longer period.

The Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has published the first comprehensive policy on film industry and film culture. The Ministry and leading members of the film industry joined forces in developing the policy, working in close collaboration.

Departures of foreign passengers from Iceland via Keflavik airport were about 10 thousand in September, according to figures from the Icelandic Tourist Board, or less than 94.5 percent compared to the numbers in September 2019, when departures were 184 thousand.

The current procedure of double screening for covid-19 at the border for all passengers arriving in Iceland is planned to remain in place until 1 December, unless circumstances warrant earlier easing. These precautions are considered appropriate in light of an increased number of domestic cases diagnosed in Iceland in the past two weeks.