Víðir Reynisson, chief police officer, said surveillance of people who come into the country and go into home quarantine will be stepped up. The plan is to introduce telephone and personal checks. On the one hand, the number of calls made to these people will increase. On the other hand, people in quarantine will be randomly visited at home.
A recently introduced immigration ordinance allows anyone who comes to the country and has a secured place to stay in a five-day quarantine at home instead of in a quarantine hotel.
Epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason suggested increased monitoring of people who opted for home quarantine.
Víðir says surveillance is to be primarily informative.
“What we want to do now is introduce phone calls to these people. We will be calling each person at least once and we intend to increase the number of these calls. We will tighten our control. This is to help people understand it better “Víðir said, referring to the fact that people interpret the quarantine in different ways.
“For this reason, we want to introduce visits to the homes of these people” added.
Talks are underway with the security company
The purpose of visits to the homes of people in quarantine is to comply with it and improve it.
“First of all, we assess the risks and look at what needs to be improved and improved in the guidelines to help people understand the rules” added.
Properly directed people will call once, maybe twice or even three times and talk to people in quarantine. They will then be visited to ensure that they are indeed in quarantine.
“It will not be a police check. Police officers will not be sent to visit homes. Under the professional supervision of an epidemiologist, we are currently working on an agreement with the relevant entities. The police do not participate in such visits ” he spoke.
Security companies may be such entities.
“It is quite possible. Two security companies contacted us and expressed their willingness to cooperate. We work closely with these companies, for example at the quarantine stations outside Keflavík airport, when taking samples here in the capital, and they are good partners, so it can be very convenient. “
mmn / visir.is