61.4 Overall Score (up 3.4 since Aug 1st.)

Iceland

  • 32.2 Public Health
    Directives
  • 65.6 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 32.2 Public Health
    Directives
  • 65.6 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication

Iceland has a very strong score, owing heavily to its reliance on facts as well as generous debt and income support; its large improvement since January was keyed by significant improvements in public health policy and financial support.

Pre-COVID Conditions

A low debt-to-GDP ratio, a very healthy population, minimal inequality, and widely accessible quality health services overshadow Iceland’s low number of hospital beds and made it relatively well-positioned to respond to the pandemic.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 37.6%
  • GDP/capita $56,974
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 26.8
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 2
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 93.6
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 22.6

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Jan 1.)
32.2

Public Health Directives

Iceland has a relatively weak public health policy score, driven by no real lockdown of any sort, and weak scores in most areas except contact tracing and testing policy.

  • Stay at home order 0
  • Public gathering restrictions 4
  • School closings 1
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 3
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $0.00
  • Travel restrictions 3
  • Tests/1,000 people 706.4
  • Contact tracing 2
65.6

Financial Response

Iceland’s weak stimulus package is overridden by its generous income support and debt forbearance, giving it a relatively strong score.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 9.2%
  • Income support 2
  • Debt forebearance 2
100

Fact-Based Communication

Iceland’s health authorities have made regular, fact-based briefings to the press.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 0
  • Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Jan 1

Despite a very high rate of confirmed cases early on, Iceland effectively brought its numbers down; it has kept cases and deaths low, and its low positivity rate suggests it is testing a wide range of its population

  • Total deaths 29
  • Death rate per 100K 85
  • Total cases 5,754
  • Cases per 100K 16,862
  • Percent of positive tests 1.5
  • Change in positivity rates -1
Case Trend Line
Daily cases
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 May 04 Schools, personal services venues, gyms, bars, and pools open, increasing gathering sizes from 20 to 50 2.93
2 May 25 Up to 200 people are allowed to gather 0.84
3 Jun 15 People arriving in Iceland undergo a COVID-19 test or a 14-day quarantine; up to 500 people are allowed to gather 1.68
4 Jul 31 Gatherings of over 100 people are banned; masks are mandatory on public transit; screening at airports intensifies 17.58

Differentiating Factors

Compared with Other Island Nations
  • 53.5
    Indonesia 751,270
    Cases     2,747
    Per 1M     22,329
    Deaths

    Indonesia scores relatively weakly, a big drop in the past few months, keyed by substantial weakening of travel restrictions, testing policy, and debt relief.

  • 79.6
    Japan 239,068
    Cases     1,890
    Per 1M     3,342
    Deaths

    Japan has a strong overall score, driven by its generous financial response and a reliance on facts, although its public health policy is very weak.

  • 88.5
    New Zealand 2,162
    Cases     448
    Per 1M     25
    Deaths

    New Zealand has had very strong policy, particularly with regard to its reliance on science and facts and its relatively strong financial response.

  • 79.1
    Taiwan 802
    Cases     34
    Per 1M     7
    Deaths

    Taiwan has a relatively strong policy score, but its minimal stimulus and weak debt relief bring it down. However, the data does not accurately measure its advanced contact tracing, which may have diminished the need for more restrictions; this likely results in a score that underestimates Taiwan’s response.

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New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million