Iceland is a large island surrounded by chilly ocean, and some forty thousand square miles in extent. This puts it in the same ball park as Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee in terms of land area. Iceland is open for business despite COVID, because its 364,000 citizens have changed their behavior. That’s according to Iceland Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir speaking to NBC News.
A Hardy People Who Learned to Depend on Each Other
Two thirds of Icelanders live in their capital city, Reykjavík and surrounding areas. Life is tough for the descendants of Norwegian settlers who arrived in long boats 1,200 years ago. Earthquakes and volcanoes are not uncommon, and they make their electricity from geothermal and hydro power.
Therefore it seems logical Icelanders would pull together and tackle the coronavirus as another challenge to beat. Iceland is now open for business despite COVID. What a contrast from most of the West still in lockdown. How did they do that? According to Iceland’s Prime Minister they changed their behavior.
‘If I think about this pandemic, what really stands out is, really, how the Icelandic public has participated,’ Katrín Jakobsdóttir explains. ‘How people have really placed their confidence in the advice of the experts and the scientists. They are actually respecting the rules.’
How Iceland Remained Open for Business Despite COVID
The Icelandic government chose not to impose strict lockdown rules, as many other nations have. Instead, Iceland introduced rigorous testing, tracing, quarantine and isolation. It trusts returning residents and visitors alike to abide by the rules. And quite remarkably 98% show up for their second test.
Iceland has contained its cases to approximately 6,000 infections, with just 29 deaths. But the focus continues to be on preventing surges, as the nation progressively opens its borders. ‘When I talk about success, I do that knowing that things can change,’ prime minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir says. ‘And they can change pretty rapidly, so let’s say we will stay on our toes.’
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Preview Image: Iceland COVID Profile
