Public gatherings of up to 500 people now allowed

Up to 500 people may now gather in groups, provided that such events are conducted under controlled conditions that allow for relatively easy contact tracing.

“Considering our low infection rates, we now believe it is sensible to take one more step toward a normal everyday life,” Prime Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen said today.

Shorter self-quarantine period

The government has also decided to shorten the self-quarantine period for non-vaccinated people travelling from abroad from six days to four.

During this period, people are advised not to be in close contact with other people and not go to work or school until a negative result from a follow-up test taken four days after arriving in the Faroes.

The key reason for shortening the self-quarantine period is that the incubation period for the rapid-spreading UK Covid strain is shorter than for the regular strain.

Uncertainty regarding large music festivals

It is not yet clear whether it is safe to go ahead with large music festivals this summer. An announcement on this will be come within the next few weeks, according to the Prime Minister.

“There are many complex safety decisions to make regarding mass events such as music festivals,” he said.

“Our country is small and vulnerable, and it is important that we continue to keep the infection spread at bay.”

No new Covid cases have been registered since 12 March. The latest vaccination figures on corona.fo, updated yesterday, show that 7,345 people (13.9 percent of the population) have received the first shot of the vaccine, while 4,149 (7.8 percent) have received the second shot.

For further information about Covid-19 in the Faroes, visit corona.fo.

Read the Faroese version of this article here

Translated by prosa.fo

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