Iceland One Step Closer to Providing COVID-19 Testing for International Arrivals
The Icelandic government has received a report of the working group appointed by the Minister of Health to prepare for the COVID-19 testing for international arrivals.
The Icelandic government has received a report of the working group appointed by the Minister of Health to prepare for the COVID-19 testing for international arrivals.
The report, which outlines the possible implementation of testing procedures and practicalities notes that several issues remain to be addressed. Among others, it estimates Iceland’s testing capacity, available testing kits, costs, period needed for test results to be delivered and much more.
The head of the working group, Hildur Helgadóttir, presented the findings of the report to the Minister of Health and Minister of Justice at a meeting together with other representatives of the working group and the Chief Epidemiologist.
According to the report, the National University Hospital Biology and Virology Department (SVEID) has a testing capacity of 500 tests per day for international arrivals. For this capacity to increase, the working group suggests that the equipment, staffing, and facilities of SVEID ought to be improved.
At the same time, it points out that under current plans, capacity could be expanded to 1000 tests per day after mid-July, the earliest.
“Also, in case of a group infection or an increased rate of infections in Iceland, testing for symptomatic individuals will take precedence over testing for international arrivals. Partnering with other analytical entities could increase testing capacity, the combined analytical capacity has not been assessed,” the report notes, adding that the current inventory stands at 10,000 sets of testing kits.
The working group believes that it is mandatory to make improvements to SVEID, regardless of the project, in order to enable the ward to perform its role adequately as an infectious disease laboratory.
The report also notes that the estimated cost of each sample is ISK 23-50 thousand depending on the number of samples taken during the day, for 100 to 500 daily arrivals.
“Relevant laws or regulations must clearly state the responsibility of carriers to register passengers to reduce the number of infectious persons coming to Iceland; to facilitate swift and effective testing procedures and to identify the passengers who elect to present health certificates those going into quarantine,” the report reads among others.
The report of the working group also asserts that test results can be delivered in approximately 5 hours from testing during the day, while the results of tests performed outside of office hours will be ready the following day unless the number of the staff is increased. Test results from other border stations may take longer, especially if the samples have to be sent to Reykjavik for analysis.
In addition, it urges the authorities to grant the border police with authority to deny entry to those who do not intend to comply with these measures.
In mid-May Iceland announced its plans to offer Coronavirus tests to arriving travellers as a way to avoid the two weeks mandatory quarantine as of June 15 the latest. The government also plans to oblige travellers to use an official tracing app that is already in use by 40 per cent of people in Iceland.
The majority of EU and Schengen Member States that have opened their borders to other countries participating in the block, have imposed a requirement of COVID-19 negative test results for those wishing to enter their territory.
Countries as Austria, Estonia, Greece, demand from travellers to present a negative molecular biological test for SARS-CoV-2 at the port of entry, or else they need to be quarantined for 14 days.
