Iceland to lift all COVID-19 restrictions on Friday

"Widespread societal resistance to COVID-19 is the main route out of the epidemic," the country's health ministry said.

By Reuters February 24, 2022
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People walk past artwork on the side of a shop as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Reykjavik, Iceland, on September 3, 2020. (John Sibley / Reuters File Photo)

COPENHAGEN — Iceland will lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, including a 200-person indoor gathering limit and restricted opening hours for bars, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

“Widespread societal resistance to COVID-19 is the main route out of the epidemic,” the ministry said in a statement, citing infectious disease authorities.

“To achieve this, as many people as possible need to be infected with the virus as the vaccines are not enough, even though they provide good protection against serious illness,” it added.

All border restrictions would also be lifted, it said.

Iceland, with a population of some 368,000 people, has registered between 2,100 and 2,800 daily infections recently. More than 115,000 infections have been logged throughout the epidemic and 60 have died due to COVID-19.

Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard and Stine Jacobsen.