From May 15, professionals including filmmakers traveling to Iceland for work may be eligible for modified quarantine
The Government of Iceland has announced that from May 15 some professionals arriving in Iceland, including filmmakers, will be eligible for a modified quarantine with specific limitations and criteria. This allows companies to request an exemption from home quarantine provided they comply with extensive requirements around their environment and enact safety procedures on production sites.
Modified quarantine procedures for filming in Iceland during COVID-19 have been published by the Directorate of Health and Chief Epidemiologist for Iceland. For more details please see the following links:
Modified quarantine procedures for filming in Iceland during Covid-19
Request for modified quarantine for film productions
In the announcement from the Government of Iceland it also says that it expects to start easing restrictions on travelers no later than June 15. Travelers are expected to be given a choice between a two-week quarantine or being tested for the virus upon arrival, or otherwise proving that they are free of coronavirus infection. Exact requirements are still being developed and final details on the easing of quarantine requirements for travelers will be announced by the end of May.
With only three infections confirmed in May, Icelandic authorities are keen to maintain the progress made so far in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing and tracing measures for travelers will be frequently reviewed to ensure that the pandemic remains under control and all measures will take into account the status of the pandemic and travel restrictions in place in other countries. These measures do not preclude the option of bilaterally opening borders between coronavirus-free countries.
Foreign studios and filmmakers have been showing great interest in filming in Iceland since Netflix's content chief Ted Sarandos mentioned that the streaming giant was currently in production in Iceland and South Korea. Due to the coronavirus outbreak filmmakers have been waiting out the uncertainty of film production. Netflix's eight-part supernatural volcano drama, Katla, by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur is currently in production in Iceland and will shoot into July.