Reykjavík Grapevine - júl. 2021, Blaðsíða 2

Reykjavík Grapevine - júl. 2021, Blaðsíða 2
First 08: Illegal Deporations 06: It's Always 4:20 Somewhere 08: Thor Vs. !ór 12-13: FRINGE IT UP! 14: Cheer Up, Girl 20: A Gallery In A Gas Station... What?! Iceland has officially declared victory over the COVID-19 pandemic. The Icelandic Government decided to completely relax domestic restric- tions at the end of June, although there are some restrictions at the borders. This means that we have no gathering restrictions nor does anyone have to wear a mask. The reason is fairly simple. As of the time I’m writing this, Iceland has vaccinated around 72% of the nation. Our top epidemiologist !órólfur Gu"nason said it's very unlikely that Iceland will experience a wave similar to those that happened earlier this year, when dozens of people had the virus. But this does not mean that Icelanders are not awake to threats connected with the virus. Only a portion of the world has been vaccinated and while that remains the case, nobody can really be sure how this will play out. But it should encourage us all to do better when it comes to helping the developing countries in the world to get vaccinated. We should also show the responsibility to have the shot ourselves, no matter how people approach the issue from a political view. It’s saving lives, it’s restoring normal- ity, Iceland is proof of this. We have had fewer than 10 cases in the two weeks since June 15th. All of the individuals that got the virus were tourists who, luckily, were vaccinated and showed no symptoms. None in Iceland have died from the virus for months. Icelanders are now looking toward the future. The pandemic has been hard and we need to rebuild. The sooner, the better. Cultural life is slowly restoring itself and unem- ployment numbers are lowering every day. This will take time, but we will get there. Icelanders have handled the pandemic well, although there were grave mistakes made on the way. Icelanders biggest lessons in handling the pandemic is that politicians trusted science to handle the threat. That’s how they gained the trust of the public. The victory comes down to the public and how we stood united and we did this repeatedly through- out the pandemic with the help of our scientists. This power of cooperation shows once more, that the public can be trusted with complicated issues, like suffocating a deadly virus. We need to remember this when we have to fight for restoring our freedom that was taken away from us through- out the pandemic. The populist figures of the world have lost the battle, although it has been costly if you count the lives that have been lost because of their impotence. And history will not be kind when looking back to their heritage. We should not forget that, either. Valur Grettisson Editor-in-chief John Pearson is a Rey- kjavík resident who combines writing with professional back- grounds in music, broadcasting, scuba diving, engineering and underwater photography. He loves puns, alliteration and lists that have three things in them. Hannah Jane Cohen is based out of Iceland by way of New York. She's known for her love of Willa Ford, David Foster Wallace, and other such "intellectuals." Her visionary work is known for expand- ing the definitions of emotion, introspec- tion, and above all else, taste. Hannah is also the current Drag King of Iceland, HANS. Poll! is a hard-work- ing journalist by day and an enthusiastic ball-catcher by night. A four-year-old dachshund mix with an IQ of a five-year- old human, Poll! has been the o"cial Chief Of Morale at the Grapevine for eight months and is a regular contribu- tor to the Grape- vine Newscast on YouTube. Woof. Alina Maurer is a media studies intern at the Grapevine. She studied all things Icelandic at HÍ and can finally distin- guish Marvel’s Thor from the real #ór. A$er a year’s break in Germany she came back to Iceland due to missing the ocean and Icelandic ice cream. She loves pretzels, clay art and boiling in hot tubs. Catharine Fulton is a writer and editor who has been involved with the Grapevine for many years, from being our online news editor to sta% journalist. She is now our beloved copywriter. Outside of dealing with our writers turning in work late, she also has two extremely cute kids. Erik Pomrenke collects graduate degrees and is cur- rently studying litera- ture and historical linguistics at HI. His MA thesis is probably going to be about law and memory, but it changes every week. In his spare time, he likes to memorize inflection paradigms and chill to death industrial and harsh noise. Andie Sophia Fontaine has lived in Iceland since 1999 and has been reporting since 2003. They were the first foreign-born member of the Icelandic Parliament, an experience they recommend for anyone who wants to experience a workplace where colleagues work tire- lessly to undermine each other. Brittnee Kiner is an American political science student– turned temporary resident of Iceland, seeking asylum from the quagmire of US politics. Riding her horse-drawn wagon from the Oklahoma prairies, she found refuge on an Atlantic island. A rock climber from the plains, she's got a serious so$ spot for ice cream. Valur Grettisson is an award-winning journalist, author and playwright. He has been writing for Icelandic media since 2005. He was also a theatre critic and one of the hosts of the cultural program, 'Djöflaeyjan' on RÚV. Valur is not to be confused with the dreadful football club that bears the same name. 31: We Met Whales <3 18: Amiina & The Love Of Lighthouses 23: Vaccination Nation COVER ART: Photographer: Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson a.k.a. Prins Póló In cooperation with our cover star, Hipsumhaps, we asked the legendary Prins Póló to do the photoshoot. The reason was simple: Both artists are known for their brilliant lyrics and unique sense of humour. The photo was shot at the pool in Álftanes, which let us visit early in the morning to take them. We are forever grateful for their wonderful staff and patient guests! EDITORIAL The Pandemic Is O"cially Over In Iceland, The Public Won ARTISAN BAKERY & COFFEE HOUSE OPEN EVERYDAY 6.30 - 21.00 LAUGAVEGUR 36 · 101 REYKJAVIK

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