The National Court rejected the epidemiologist’s complaint regarding the forced stay of residents in the so-called quarantine hotel. This means that the epidemiologist’s decision to quarantine hotels has been revoked. The epidemiologist is currently working on a memorandum on how to carry out epidemic controls at the border.
The newspaper Fréttablaðið was the first to announce this on its website. Kjartan Hreinn Njálsson, the medical director’s assistant for health, confirms this verdict in an interview with the news agency.
Kjartan Hreinn also confirms that Þórólfur Guðnason is now working on a memorandum on how to conduct epidemiological control at the border. It is not clear when this memorandum will be announced, but it is likely to be tomorrow or the day after.
The District Court concluded on Monday that although the stay in a quarantine facility was to some extent comparable to a stay in home quarantine, it should, for obvious reasons, be considered more inconvenient than staying at home.
The provision in the hotel quarantine ordinance had no legal basis and therefore the decision went beyond the permissible measures.
The epidemiologist described the District Court’s decision as a great disappointment and said it increased the likelihood of further spread of infection. In his lawsuit, he stated that the measures taken do not go beyond what is necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health.
Quelle: Yle