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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Was there a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Iceland despite a 90% vaccination rate?

Thursday, July 29, 2021

By Austin Tannenbaum

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YES

By late July, about 90% of Icelanders 16 and older were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

In late June, Iceland removed all domestic COVID-19 restrictions, including "social distancing, limits on gatherings, mask-wearing, [and] limits on opening hours."

The country recorded an increase in reported coronavirus infections over the past month, averaging 93 a day in the week ending July 27— more than triple the highest level recorded previously in 2021. Fully vaccinated individuals accounted for two-thirds of the infections.

While the vaccines continue to reduce COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates around the world, they appear less effective at preventing delta variant infections.

In response to its recent spike in infections, Iceland reimposed restrictions on July 25, limiting gatherings to 200 people and reenacting social distancing rules.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Government of Iceland COVID-19 vaccinations in Iceland - statistics

Government of Iceland COVID-19 cases in Iceland - statistics

SchengenVisaInfo.com Starting from July 27, Iceland brings back requirement of COVID-19 test results for vaccinated travelers

Lincoln County (Oregon) Update on the COVID-19 pandemic and delta variant (published by Lincoln County, Oregon)

Government of Iceland Announcements: Restrictions on gatherings as of 25 July

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.