Despite high vaccination rates, the island nation has since seen a rapid increase in the incidence of the Delta strain, with a significant proportion of new infections occurring in fully vaccinated people.
Although the vast majority of Iceland's adult population is vaccinated, Chief Epidemiologist Thorolfur Gudnason said he cannot rule out that the recently reintroduced restrictions on COVID-19 may become necessary for up to 15 years.
"It could happen; nobody knows what the future holds. That's what we've been saying all along, that there's no predictability about it," he told The Morgunbladid.
Thorolfur Gudnason stressed that the COVID-19 epidemic will not end in this country until it ends worldwide.
He also acknowledged that vaccine protection against infection has declined, but claims that protection against serious cases is still estimated at 90 percent.
On June 26, the Icelandic authorities decided to lift all domestic restrictions, leading media outlets around the world to call the country the victorious country of the coronavirus. At that point, no cases of COVID-19 had been reported in several weeks, and there had not been a single fatality since last December. At the same time, a large majority of Iceland's adult population had been vaccinated. Among people over the age of 50, the rate is close to 100 percent.
Since then, however, the country has seen a rapid increase in the incidence of the Delta strain, with a large proportion of new infections occurring in fully vaccinated people. This week, the spread of infection reached its highest level to date with 131 daily cases.
The new wave of infections has forced Icelandic authorities to reintroduce restrictions, such as requiring the use of masks indoors.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) labeled Iceland "orange" in its latest report on the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 worldwide. Earlier this week, the newspaper Morgunbladid reported that Iceland may be classified as "red" in light of the recent increase in COVID-19 notifications, which surpassed the 200 per 100,000 mark this week.
To date, 7,676 cases and 30 deaths have been reported in Iceland, a country of 330,000 people.
<a href="http://Despite high vaccination rates, the island nation has since seen a rapid increase in the incidence of the Delta strain, with a significant proportion of new infections occurring in fully vaccinated people.
Although the vast majority of Iceland's adult population is vaccinated, Chief Epidemiologist Thorolfur Gudnason said he cannot rule out that the recently reintroduced restrictions on COVID-19 may become necessary for up to 15 years.
"It could happen; nobody knows what the future holds. That's what we've been saying all along, that there's no predictability about it," he told The Morgunbladid.
Thorolfur Gudnason stressed that the COVID-19 epidemic will not end in this country until it ends worldwide.
He also acknowledged that vaccine protection against infection has declined, but claims that protection against serious cases is still estimated at 90 percent.
On June 26, the Icelandic authorities decided to lift all domestic restrictions, leading media outlets around the world to call the country the victorious country of the coronavirus. At that point, no cases of COVID-19 had been reported in several weeks, and there had not been a single fatality since last December. At the same time, a large majority of Iceland's adult population had been vaccinated. Among people over the age of 50, the rate is close to 100 percent.
Since then, however, the country has seen a rapid increase in the incidence of the Delta strain, with a large proportion of new infections occurring in fully vaccinated people. This week, the spread of infection reached its highest level to date with 131 daily cases.
The new wave of infections has forced Icelandic authorities to reintroduce restrictions, such as requiring the use of masks indoors.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) labeled Iceland "orange" in its latest report on the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 worldwide. Earlier this week, the newspaper Morgunbladid reported that Iceland may be classified as "red" in light of the recent increase in COVID-19 notifications, which surpassed the 200 per 100,000 mark this week.
To date, 7,676 cases and 30 deaths have been reported in Iceland, a country of 330,000 people.
So when they promote vaccination so much, think 100 times about what it is for!