Reykjavík Grapevine - dec. 2020, Side 4

What Are Icelanders
Talkin! About?
The topics that are !ettin! people
banned from the comments
Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photos: Adobe Stock, 'Highlander'
You can always tell when a
particular issue in Iceland
is really getting people talking
when their Facebook profile photo
frames start changing. One of the
biggest topics being argued about
right now is the proposed High-
lands National Park. On the one
hand, it seems like a good idea to
preserve one of Europe’s largest
last known wilderness areas. On
the other hand, the idea has been
met with concerted pushback from
rural municipalities and tourism
industry workers, amongst others,
both of whom believe the park
would encroach upon small towns
and small businesses alike. While
the Minister for the Environ-
ment has tried to smooth things
over, Parliamentary President and
historic firebrand Steingrímur J.
Sigfússon characterised the critics
as a “whining minority” trying to
get their way. And that’s why a good
portion of your Icelandic friends
now have Facebook profile frames
which read either “I support the
Highlands National Park” or “I am
the whining minority”.
Much like the rest of the year,
coronavirus continues to be a hot
topic, with one particular flash-
point flaring up between swim-
ming pools and gyms. Earlier
this month, the Ministry of
Health allowed for the relaxation
of some pandemic restrictions,
which included the re-opening of
swimming pools—arguably more
important to Icelanders than
opening pubs. However, gyms
remain closed, as they have been
since October. Gym owners have
been decidedly upset about the
matter and have even threatened
to sue the state over the closures.
Meanwhile, public broadcast-
ing service RÚV reached out to a
literal chemistry professor to ask
whether chlorinated water, such as
that found in pools, kills the virus
(it does) by way of explanation as
to why one would be open but not
the other. When the gyms will
open again is as yet undetermined.
In more optimistic coronavirus
news, it looks like a vaccine will
be here soon. After making a deal
with Pfizer, one of the producers of
a coronavirus vaccine, the Minister
of Health announced that vacci-
nations could begin around New
Year’s eve. Some 170,000 doses will
be made available over this period
of time, which should be enough
to cover 85,000 people—not too
shabby for a country of 350,000.
Those being prioritised include
frontline health care workers,
and individuals with conditions
that make them especially vulner-
able to the virus. But do Iceland-
ers even want to be vaccinated
against coronavirus? Turns out:
yes, pretty much all of them,
according to the most recent poll
on the matter, which showed some
92% say they either will definitely
or probably take it.
4The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10— 2020First
NEWS
You're not important enough to microchip
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Highlander at a protest, yesterday
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