94 New Coronavirus Cases

94 new coronavirus infections were diagnosed yesterday, Vísir reported this morning. Of these, 40 were already quarantine and eight were identified during border screenings. There are now 23 in hospital at Landspítali with the virus. Three of these are on ventilators in the intensive care unit.

The National Commissioner of Police’s Civil Protection Department and the Office of the Medical Director of Health called a meeting at 11 o’clock this morning in Katrínartún 2. This meeting is available on Vísir on both video and as a text description.

The numbers and new restrictions were reviewed at this meeting. Þórólfur Guðnason reminded attendees at the meeting that due to the incubation period and length of time it takes an infected person to get seriously ill, it takes two weeks to see the results of new restrictions. For this reason, daily infection rates can be expected to remain high at least for the next few days. Þórólfur reminded individuals to follow the basic regulations to avoid the spread of the virus. Though there have been some reports of people disobeying regulations, he feels that the vast majority are following them.

He also emphasised the necessity of limiting the workload on Landspítali as far as possible, to ensure that they can make the best use of resources and provide people with the best service possible. Increased workload on the hospital can be expected in the upcoming days and weeks, but Landspítali currently believes that it is able to cope. This of course depends on patients who are currently ill completing their treatment and being moved on.

Þórólfur emphasised that people “need to realise that there is no good option in response to a virus”, but that the best option is to limit infection and illness.

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