Lifting of all restrictions from 26 June
Health Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir has decided that from 26 June, all restrictions on domestic gatherings will be lifted. This includes the full removal of the mandatory mask requirement, the social distancing rule and crowd size limits. The decision to lift all gathering restrictions is in line with the recommendations of the Director of Public Health. On 1 July, revised rules regarding border testing will come into effect.
Health Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir has decided that from 26 June, all restrictions on domestic gatherings will be lifted. This includes the full removal of the mandatory mask requirement, the social distancing rule and crowd size limits. The decision to lift all gathering restrictions is in line with the recommendations of the Director of Public Health. On 1 July, revised rules regarding border testing will come into effect.
See the announcement on the website of the Cabinet Office.
Around 87% of those planned to be vaccinated have now had at least one jab, around 60% are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and all those who had not previously been offered a vaccination should now have received such an offer. The government's plans for the progress of the vaccination programme and the lifting of social distancing restrictions have therefore been fully realised.
Domestic restrictions due to Covid-19 have varied throughout the pandemic, depending on the situation at any given time. Social distancing rules and crowd restrictions have been in place throughout the pandemic, with a form of mandatory face-mask wearing having been in force for a long time. The restrictions have meant that all possible activities have been severely curtailed and, at times, brought to a complete standstill. Cultural life, sporting activities, schooling, the hospitality industry, tourism and many other areas have been shaped by the prevailing rules on gathering restrictions at any given time. With the Health Minister's decision to lift all gathering restrictions, rules on gatherings will no longer be subject to any restrictions other than those that generally apply in society and were in place before the pandemic struck.
The border: Children and people with a certificate of vaccination or previous infection are no longer being screened.
The Minister of Health has decided on changes to the public health regulations at the border, which will come into effect on 1 July and remain in force until 15 August. These changes are also in line with a memorandum from the Chief Medical Officer.
- From 1 July, testing will cease for those who present valid certificates of vaccination with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency and/or the WHO. Vaccination is considered valid two weeks after the individual has received their second dose of a vaccine, but if the person has been vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine, one week must have passed since the vaccination.
- Sampling will be discontinued for children born in 2005 or later.
- From 1 July, those who present valid certificates of vaccination and previous infection with Covid-19, and children born in 2005 and later, will not need to present a negative PCR certificate on arrival in the country.
- For those who cannot present valid certificates of Covid-19 vaccination or recovery from a previous Covid-19 infection, a negative PCR certificate must still be presented at boarding and at the border, undergo a PCR test upon arrival in the country, quarantine for 5 days and undergo a second test at the end of the period.
A memorandum from the Chief Medical Officer on the easing of domestic restrictions