Iceland to reopen discos, bars and gyms on Monday

Nightclubs, bars and gyms will be able to reopen in Iceland as of Monday, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday, while the number of new cases of coronavirus continues to decline on the island.

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The country had already relaxed its restrictions for the first time on May 4 by reopening its high schools and universities, museums and hair salons. The health authorities subsequently noted that " the relaxation of the restrictions (...) does not seem to have led to an increase in the number of cases ". The pools were also allowed to reopen on May 18.

Deprived of sports for two months, regulars will also be able to find their rooms but under certain conditions, respecting disinfection and cleaning before and after using the machines. The capacity of the premises will however be halved to allow a distance of two meters between each person. Bars, nightclubs and games rooms will be allowed to reopen until 11 p.m. and the limit will increase from 50 to 200 on Monday.

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Iceland had introduced semi-containment measures in mid-March to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. The island has so far recorded 1,803 cases of contamination, including only five in May, and 10 deaths. To date, it has tested 58,295 of its 364,000 inhabitants, or 16% of the population, making it the world champion in per capita screening.

The government announced in mid-May it wants to reopen its borders by June 15 and plans to offer travelers arriving at its only international airport the opportunity to be tested to escape a quarantine of 14 days. A working group is due to publish its conclusions on Monday on the feasibility of this vast plan and its cost, which the Icelandic state should initially take care of.

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