Communicable Diseases Act (No. 19 of 1997).

Iceland’s Communicable Diseases Act provides the general framework for preventing, monitoring and controlling communicable diseases and other serious threats to public health. It covers diseases and pathogens capable of causing epidemics or threatening the public interest, as well as serious health effects from toxins, radioactive substances and unusual or unexpected events with potentially serious international health consequences. The Directorate of Health is responsible for implementation under the Minister of Health, with the Chief Epidemiologist responsible for communicable-disease control, national coordination, surveillance, vaccination programmes, epidemiological investigations and contact tracing. Certain diseases and events must be registered or notified, and doctors, laboratories and other health authorities have duties to report cases and potential infection risks. Individuals also have a general duty to take reasonable precautions against spreading infection and, where they believe they may have contracted a disease capable of endangering others, to seek medical attention and comply with necessary preventive instructions.
Where an epidemic threatens public health, the Minister, acting on a proposal from the Chief Epidemiologist, may order measures including vaccination, screening, quarantine, isolation, disinfection, restrictions on movement, closure of schools, suspension of certain business activities and restrictions on gatherings; urgent temporary measures may also be taken by the Chief Epidemiologist. Such measures must be necessary to protect life and health and must respect proportionality, equality and constitutionally and internationally protected rights. The Act also authorises border-related health measures for travellers, including health information requirements, examinations, screening, quarantine and isolation where necessary to prevent diseases entering or leaving Iceland. Measures directed at particular infected or suspected individuals may include compulsory examination, quarantine or isolation, but coercive measures must be limited to what is necessary; decisions involving deprivation of liberty may be challenged before a district court and may generally last no more than 15 days at a time without renewed judicial consideration. Violations of the Act or regulations made under it may be punished by a fine or imprisonment for up to three months.