Haraldur Briem, Chief Epidemiologist at Iceland’s Directorate of Health, this morning met with civil protection officers from the police. He is also meeting this morning with other health and public protection officials to decide what needs to be done to protect Iceland from the developing global swine flu pandemic.
According to information from the Directorate of Health, the later of this morning’s meetings with the Chief Epidemiologist is attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the epidemiologist for Keflavik and Reykjanes (Iceland’s biggest airport is located in Keflavik), Sudurnes Police (which covers Keflavik), representatives from the Icelandic Defence Agency and the president of Keflavik International Airport ltd, mbl.is reports.
Discussions centre on what the risk really is and what needs to be done in accordance with it. Neighbouring countries are taking similar measures, with cases already confirmed in Canada, Spain, the UK and the USA; all of which have direct scheduled air links with Iceland. One person in Norway and five in Denmark are also suspected to be suffering from the disease, which is not proving fatal in the vast majority of cases globally.
The WHO (World Health Organisation) is encouraging united action by all the nations of the world to hinder the progress of the disease which has already claimed around 200 lives.
I bet there are some amazing last-minute deals now on Mexican holidays…
You could not pay me to go to Mexico, I worry for the airlines which is the main way other far away countries get it. They need to monitor crews on Icelandair, check all passengers and where they have been and there health mask all on planes! Can’t take a chance on 1 ignorant person who may not show sxs till on the plane. Check all passengers and crew, watch food and where it came from. I am in Houston, Tx. in 1 week you will see this either claim down or get worse. Get masks and germ killer creame. Stay away form crowds, use your head. Keep it out Iceland – Land of my kin and passed father and passed oldest sister. God Bles IS. XOX E.
I am glad to see it has not made it here yet. With San Antonio and Austin right down the road Houston(& Bellaire) will be seeing it soon.
We already had the swine flue here, we are looking better now, most of the people infecting the country have fled to places like Cayman islands.
WELL, ICELAND ISN´T A SAFE COUNTRY AT ALL,,,, WITH SO MANY PIGS AROUND….
SIR EURO why the hell do you stay in our country when every comment you make is negative towards us and our country no wonder you get problems
watch out for the bonus pig!
LOL at ren’s advice…
yes not only will he monopolize your food shopping and have an undeserved sense of entitlement and look down upon the common folk who shop at his stores now he will kill you with his sickness! ;)
EYRUNA. “no wonder you get problems”
YEAH EYRUNA, THEY SHOULD GIVE YOU THE NOBEL PRIZE IN HUMAN RIGHTS!! WHEN SOMEONE IS OBJECT OF RACISM IT IS THAT PERSONS FAULT… AND OF COURSE HE SHOULDN´T COMPLAIN BECAUSE HE IS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY,, SO BECAUSE HE IS A FOREIGNER AND BECAUSE OF THAT HE HAS NO RIGHT TO BE CONSIDERED A HUMAN BEING…
AND THE WOMEN, WHEN THEIR ICELANDIC HUSBANDS TREAT THEM LIKE **** AND SUFFER OF HOME GENDER ABUSSE WHILE NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY WATCH AND DO NOTHING… YEAH, THEY SHOULD COMPLAIN EITHER, BECAUSE IT IS THEIR FAULT AS WELL… ISN´T IT??
BECAUSE ICELAND IS A PERFECT SOCIETY, ISN´T IT EYRUNA? SO NO ONE SHOULD COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING… AND IF SOMEONE COMPLAIN THEN HE/SHE IS WRONG AND IF THEIR RIGHTS AS HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT RESPECTED IT IS ONLY THEIR FAULT…
EYRUNA, PLEASE, GET A LIFE!!
AND MY COMMENTS ARE NOT AGAINST ICELANDERS, MY COMMENTS ARE AGAINST THE IGNORANCE OF THINKING THAT THIS COUNTRY AND ITS SOCIETY ARE PERFECT WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF **** GOING ON… SO LETS GET REAL HERE, WHE SHOULD OPENLY DENOUNCE THOSE ATROCITIES, GET RID OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION, ASSURE HUMAN RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE, MAKE A NECESSARY CALL FOR HUMAN SENSE AND RESPECT. MAKE ICELANDERS UNDERSTAND THAT INTERCULTURAL INTERACTION WILL MAKE OF ICELAND A MORE HUMAN, OPEN AND CULTURALLY RICH SOCIETY.
STOP POLLUTING YOUR COUNTRY AND DESTROYING YOUR BEAUTIFUL NATURE, YOU ARE POISONING YOUR ENVIRONMENT, VERY BAD…
HELP YOUNG PEOPLE TO SEE A BRIGHTER FUTURE SO THEY DON´T FALL INTO PROSTITUTION OR DOING DRUGS… BECAUSE IN ONLY TWO YEARS THE CASES OF PROSTITUTION AND THE DRUG DEALING HAVE INCREASED 200% IN ICELAND… BUT YEAH, NO ONE SHOULD COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING!!!
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST RUINED AND POLITICALLY CORRUPTED COUNTRY IN EUROPE, BUT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT COMPLAIN!!
EVERYTHING IS PERFECT IN ICELAND ISN´T IT??
Iceland may not be perfect but by many standards it does very well. Do you really think other countries aren’t run by oligarchies. Are the US and the UK bailing out a financia elite? Do you not think that pressure groups control government. When are we going to see BAE held to account for Saudi bribery, who is going to convict those responsible for the banking crisis, who is bringing Blair to account for Iraq, torture and cash for honours. When will western Europe and the US apologise for slavery, colonialism, trade sanctione blah blah blah.
What makes you think you can criticise another sovereign nation don’t we have the right to control are borders. Has it ever occured to you how fragile the icelandic culture and language is, or do you want iceland to become another proxy anglphone nation like singapore. I actually dare you to make your next comment in fluent ICELANDIC. You allude to multiculturalism, let me say this to you now;
1. There isn’t room for multiculturalism in iceland without destroying the essence of Iceland.
2. Iceland does not have the baggage of a colonial past which links it other non-european nations. It has no guilt, or atleast should feel no guilt about, what other europeans have done.
3. Aloofness is hardly restricted to the Icelandic. While i don’t condone racism i dont believe that we have to change our society to fit you in, it should be the other way round.
4. Iceland is in my opinion one of the most culturally rich countries per capita in the world.
oh my SIR EURO you sound just like the people i hear on their soapbox in hyde park corner on a sunday i have spent the last 4 years studying in the UK iceland may have its problems but nothing like the scale of UK problems . i also think that you do not understand icelanders and you are mis understanding them of course we have homelessness drugs buit as a per centage nothing like here in the UK MY question is still why do you stay in iceland if we are all so bad ?
SIR EURO said “BLAH BLAH BLAH”
My good SIR, why is it people believe they should be able go to a party that is not for them and, when there, demand it become a costume party because they want one(and be offended when he is called on it). I am not Icelandic by birth, BUT, I do love this society/culture and any misgiving I have I A) Remember that I am the guest in a different culture and am not so egotistical to think I should change it. B) If something does need (in my opinion) changing I would do it through showing others my way (passively)and let them decide if it is something they find attractive for their way of life. So please give opinion but remember, the world does not revolve around it (plus after a second of them I just see BLAH BLAH BLAH anyway).
Swine Flu Ancestor Born on U.S. Factory Farms:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/05/swineflufarm/
if more people were vegetarians than such thing would not be
I don’t understand the doomsday prophets that insist this is the end of the world. Swine flu was no worse than 90% of the other flus that go around this planet year after year.
Bird flu was worse but even that, while widespread, did not have th emortality rates of previous strains which received no press coverage.
Give the press a juicy headline and they’ll spread it far and wide encouraging panic as it sells papers.