Iceland in the shadow of COVID-19: A day on top of a volcano

The title, ‘In the shadow of COVID-19’ sounds a little ominous, don’t you think? Trust me, it’s intentional! Iceland is operating again, that’s for sure. Tourists are returning, albeit in small numbers. And people are starting to relax into everyday life. However, to say it is business as usual is simply not true. In fact, in the past few days Iceland has seen a small resurgence of cases. But, when I say small, I mean really small. Around 20 new cases or so. Even with a small overall population, that’s a tiny percentage. 

The small percentage hasn’t stopped the Icelandic authorities from jumping into action and commanding the citizens wear masks whenever 2 metre social distancing isn’t possible. You are also now required to be tested a second time, after 5 days, if you intend to stay in Iceland for more than 10 days straight. This is on top of your initial border test on arrival. Some may consider this too extreme, but I ask,…