Iceland to test tourist arrivals with the aim to restart tourism by June 15
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Holidaymakers arriving in Iceland will be given the choice of a coronavirus test or a two-week quarantine under plans to restart tourism to the island nation.
The Icelandic government said it wants to welcome international tourists again by June 15, with some professionals, including scientists, filmmakers and athletes, allowed to enter the country from May 15.
The exact details of the scheme are yet to be announced but it is likely visitors will be required to download Iceland’s official tracing and tracking app before being asked to self-isolate for 14 days unless they agree to be tested for the virus or can prove they are free from infection. The cost of the test will be covered initially by the government but it is expected travellers will eventually be asked to pay a fee of £167 in a similar scheme to one being trialled at Vienna’s airport.
Iceland also said it was open to the idea of creating “travel bubbles” with nations that have seen their coronavirus infections fall to a sufficiently low level. Residents from Greenland and the Faroe Islands are set to be the first allowed to enter the country.
Iceland has been held up as a global success story in its handling of coronavirus. The island has registered just 1,801 cases and 10 deaths, and only the Faroe Islands has carried out more tests per capita.
The Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs said that there have been just three new cases diagnosed in May. Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson added: “We are once again ready to carefully open our doors to the world. While we remain cautious, we are optimistic as a country that we can successfully begin our journey back to normality.”
