Iceland Dropped All COVID-19 Restrictions after Hitting a 60% Vaccination Rate

As of July 1, vaccinated travelers can skip testing and quarantine requirements.

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As vaccination rates in many countries keep increasing, destinations across the globe have slowly been able to drop their stringent COVID restrictions and open back up on a full scale. Iceland is the latest destination to do so. 

On June 26, the land of fire and ice became the first country in Europe to drop all restrictions, including social distancing, mask-wearing, and gathering limits. The change went into effect Saturday at midnight, with 87% of the adult population partially vaccinated and roughly 60% fully vaccinated.

"Continuous and honest communication between the people and our trusted scientists have contributed mightily to the population's willingness to take part in the effort to minimize the harms of the pandemic," Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir said in a statement. "There has been a focus on maintaining a proper level of vigilance, without either downplaying or exaggerating the risk. We are succeeding by trusting the good sense of the Icelandic people."

Beginning July 1, border restrictions will loosen as well. Travelers with an approved digital or paper vaccination certificate will no longer have to undergo testing prior to arrival. Children under 16 can also show proof of recovery from COVID without a negative test or mandatory quarantine.  

Unvaccinated folks will still be required to get tested and quarantine for five days upon arrival to the country, so just save yourself the hassle and get your double dose.

"We fully expect that we will continue to detect cases and that small clusters of infection may appear. But we are confident that our contact tracing capabilities, with the public's willingness to abide by both quarantine and isolation requirements, will prove sufficient to handle any new outbreaks," Iceland's Head of Civil Protection Víðir Reynisson said in the statement.

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Megan Schaltegger is a staff writer at Thrillist.