ICELAND

Iceland´s new coronavirus measures explained in detail

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — On Friday the government of Iceland introduced new restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The restrictions will come into effect on July 25th and will last at least until August 13th.

Gatherings are now limited to 200 persons, but exempt from that limit are children born in 2016 or later. In addition people are required to maintain a social distance of 1 metre, but children born in 2016 or later are also exempt from that rule.

A face mask mandate has been reintroduced, requiring people to wear masks indoors and in places where it is not possible to maintain the 1-metre rule. Children born in 2006 or later are exempt.

Stores cannot allow more than 200 customers to enter at any time. Swimming pools, bathing facilities and fitness centres are limited to 75% of their maximum capacity, and are requested to disinfect equipment between users.

Museums are also capped at 75% of maximum capacity, and sporting events will be allowed provided that the number of participants not exceed 100. A maximum of 200 spectators are allowed „in each compartment“, and they must sit in numbered seats. The sale of refreshments at sporting events is not allowed while the measures are in place.

For stage performances and comparable functions up to 100 persons are allowed on stage and up to 200 guests are allowed in each compartment (e.g. in each cinema auditorium). Intermissions are allowed but refreshments may not be sold during breaks and guests must sit in numbered seats.

The activities of religious and philosophical organisations are capped at 200 participants.

Restaurants, bars and the like may only have 100 persons in each compartment. The sale of alcoholic beverages is limited to seated customers and guests must be registered. Businesses of this type must close no later than 23:00 and be emptied before midnight.

Campsites and caravan sites are required to follow any instructions of the Icelandic Tourist Board and Chief Epidemiologist.

 

 

Iceland: Gatherings capped at 200 and one-metre rule introduced

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Icelandic government has decided to introduce new restrictions to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Starting midnight tomorrow gatherings are limited to 200 individuals and people will be required to maintain physical distancing of at least one metre.

As part of the restrictions bars and clubs are required to close no later than midnight and to stop serving alcoholic beverages at 11 pm.

Four weeks ago authorities lifted all restrictions on domestic activities while some controls at the border remained in place.

Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir spoke to members of the press following the government‘s meeting this evening and informed them that the new restrictions will be in place until August 13th. ai@mbl.is

 

 

Iceland: Air quality in Reykjavík ranked 16th in new study

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — According to a study based on city air quality recently published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík, has been ranked the 16th city in Europe with the cleanest air quality.

Landvernd, an environmental conservation organization based in Iceland, stated, “This isn’t overly surprising,” with its Managing Director Auður Önnu Magnúsdóttir commenting, “I even expected us to rank lower.”

Landvernd explained that studded tires are the main reason for fine particulate matter air pollution, with the organization requesting that a fee should be charged for the use of studded tires in the capital area.

Other factors that affect air quality include auto emissions, with heavier vehicles creating finer matter.

The study found that Umeå in Sweden is the city with the best air quality, followed by other cities in Scandinavia, including Norway and Finland. Magnúsdóttir stated that the cities higher up on the list have better measures in place for the usage of studded tires.

“When Landvernd suggests is adopting a policy based on a model from Norway, such as in Oslo, where people can pay a daily fee for the use of studded tires. This way, those who travel from far away and must, for example, cross mountain passes, are allowed to use studded tires in the city, as long as they pay a fee for it,” explained Magnúsdóttir.

 

 

Iceland: Icelandic Airline Play showcases new gender-neutral uniforms

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Forget running around in high heels – comfortable sneakers are the way to go, and instructions regarding hair, makeup, tattoos and nail polish are gone. The new uniforms are gender-neutral, and the PLAY crew can pick whatever works for them from a varied selection of outfits encompassing the companies core values, simplicity, playfulness, competitiveness, equality and on-time performance.

The PLAY uniforms were designed by local designer couple Gunni Hilmars and Kolla, who were keen to tackle a modern take on the airline’s uniforms.

“We were honoured and pleased to get to work with PLAY on this clothing line for their uniforms. We really wanted to throw out all those old ideas about airline uniforms and bring in more comfort. We tried to scrap the constrictive rules often associated with these uniforms and include relaxed fits, stretchy fabrics, and, of course, shoes meant for working on your feet! The result is a mix of activewear and a fresh uniform.”

“It was really satisfying to see how well Gunni and Kolla got our brief and our ideas for this line. We had certain ideas about the clothing and how it should represent and work with our brand and the results are just amazing,” says Jónína Guðmundsdóttir, CPO of PLAY.

 

 

Iceland trials IBM’s Excelsior Pass for travellers coming from New York

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Icelandic Border Control has launched a pilot program to accept the Excelsior Pass at the countries border from passengers flying from New York. 

The Excelsior Pass is currently available to New Yorkers, a free voluntary digital health pass developed by New York State in partnership with IBM to verify their COVID-19 vaccination or test results.

The pilot program results will likely allow Iceland to accept and verify health credentials from the IBM Digital Health Pass platform.

The Excelsior Pass is a simple, secure way to share COVID-19 test results or vaccination status received from a trusted issuer. Each pass will have a secure QR code scanned at the Iceland border control system operated by Iceland based Origo to confirm someone’s COVID-19 health status. Individuals can either print out their pass or store it in the secure digital wallet application on their mobile phone.

According to current rules and until July 1st, all passengers must undergo a PCR-test for COVID-19 upon arrival in Iceland. In addition, all travellers to Iceland are required to fill out a pre-registration form before arrival.

Read more about the Excelsior Pass here.

Read more about the status of COVID in Iceland and how to get into the country here. The website is maintained & managed by the Directorate of Health and The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management.

 

 

Iceland: Creating Connection Between Communities

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – If your native language is not Icelandic, and you’re between 16 and 25 years old, living in Iceland, here is an opportunity for you:

On Wednesday, June 23, a development project will be launched in Reykjavík, which aims to increase community participation of people aged 16 to 25, whose native language is not Icelandic. The event is scheduled by Tengivirkið/Connecting Communities at Hitt húsið, Rafstöðvarvegur 7-9, between 3 and 5 pm.

Discussion groups will meet up, participants will get to know one other and chat. Assistance will be provided for those interested in applying for sports or extracurricular activities, requiring help with applying for admission to high school or university, or needing assistance with  their CV or job search.

The main goal is to have fun together and get to know the district and all of its benefits. There will be complimentary food and beverages, short presentations, a concert and finally a free raffle.

Isabel Alejandra Diaz will lead a short discussion. Isabel moved to Iceland from El Salvador when she was very young. Since then, she has served as the president of the student council of the University of Iceland – the first person of a foreign background to do so.

Sayed Khanogli will talk about his experiences in Iceland from 2019, when he arrived as a refugee from Afghanistan. Sayed is currently a student at Fjölbrautaskólinn við Ármúla secondary school, but plans to transfer to Borgarholtsskóli secondary school to focus on cinema. He is also the chairman of the Youth Movement of Amnesty International in Iceland.

Among the many raffle prizes will be the following:

A whale watching tour with Elding Adventure
Access to the adventure course in Adrenalin park
Family tickets to the Wonders of Iceland exhibition in Perlan
For more information, see the Facebook page of the event.

Iceland sees largest drop in unemployment since the nineties

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — According to Vísir, Iceland’s rate of unemployment has seen the largest drop within the country since 1994, where the rate dropped from 10.4% to 9.1% between April and May of 2021. 

The number of people dropping off the unemployment register was around 2400, with tourism-related sectors seeing the most significant decrease during this period.

Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Iceland’s Minister of Social Affairs, noted that this change happened faster than expected, pointing to an employment initiative set up by the government that aimed to create a minimum of 7000 jobs through financial support to both private and public institutions that hired new employees. In total, the initiative created around 10,400 jobs.

Daðason noted that the goal is to create even more jobs in the near future in partnership with Iceland’s business community.

In June, unemployment is expected to fall to 7.3-7.7%, according to projections set by Iceland’s Directorate of Labour. This would mean that the number of people registered as unemployed would drop from 20,000 to 14,00 by the end of June.

 

 

Iceland: Lundey Island (Puffin) declared protected area in Iceland

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Environment Minister of Iceland, Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, has announced that Lundey Island off the north coast of Reykjavík has been declared a protected area due to the ten thousand seabird pairs that nest on the island every year.

Lundey joins the declaration of protected areas alongside its neighbors within Reykjavík’s Kollafjörður fjord, including Engey, Viðey, Þerney, and Akurey. These islands are already on the Nature Conservation Register, with the latter declared as a protected area in 2019. Once inhabited by people, this collection of islands now host a variety of bird and plant life.

“Akurey in Kollafjörður was the first area to be protected in a protection campaign that I launched in 2018 and now it’s time for her sister, Lundey,” explained Guðbrandsson.

Lundey is playfully nicknamed as puffin island as puffins are the prominent species that breed there, while kittiwakes, black guillemots, and eider ducks are also residing on the island. Plantlife, including common meadow grass, green sorrel, arctic fescue, and meadow buttercup, also call the island home.

Guðbrandsson comments, “It’s appropriately named, as the island is an important breeding and nesting area for puffins, which are under threat, and the protection is part of protecting the species here in Iceland.”

 

Iceland: New arts and music festival Brennuold Fest announced in Reykjavík

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Brennuold Festival, a new arts and music festival, has been announced to take place in the heart of downtown Reykjavík, Iceland, which is set to bring together the arts and music community for a full day of art exhibitions and live music performances.

Brennuold Fest is a small independent festival built on the DIY ethos of bringing together the like-minded art & music community to create a space in which those local artists and musicians can engage, collaborate and inspire.

Through art exhibitions, live music performances, and an artisan marketplace & local food, the event also strives to support female artists working in a predominantly male sphere of the music and art world. Drawing on the theme of darkness and all that this can encompass, attendees are invited to step into the darkness while in the land of the midnight sun during the final weekend in August.

Headlining the event are the dark and mystical KAELAN MIKLA alongside the oppressively heavy doom drone duo Bismuth from the UK. Additionally, Amy Haslehurst & PrintHaus will be exhibiting their works with more artists and bands to be announced in the coming weeks.

The festival will be held in Reykjavik’s historic Kex Hostel, a biscuit factory come hostel, come music venue for major events such as Iceland Airwaves in downtown Reykjavik. The festival itself is open to the public for a low entry fee to encourage locals and those traveling from abroad alike. Tickets are limited due to the small capacity of the venue.

The inaugural event will be taking place on 28th August 2021 at Kex Hostel, Skulagata 28, Reykjavik 101 from 13:00 – 00:00. Cost of entry is 3500kr online and 4000kr at the door.

 

 

Iceland and Norway strike trade deal with the UK

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Iceland and Norway have struck a trade deal with the UK for digital paperwork that will reduce time and costs that now come with border bureaucracy post-Brexit.

The trade deal came after months of tough talks between the UK and Norwegian governments and has been labeled as pioneering in its scope and measures by securing tariff-free trade in industrial goods.

As part of the deal, Norway has reduced its duties in twenty-six areas of agriculture, such as cheese. The deal also allows caps on the charges mobile operators can charge each other for international mobile roaming, which is a world-first in a free trade deal.

Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, stated that it was vital to secure an agreement with the UK as the UK is Norway’s second-biggest trading partner outside of the EU.

The trade deal also allows highly skilled UK professionals to enter Norway and Iceland for business motives and includes recognizing various professional qualifications, including nurses, lawyers, and vets.

 

 

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