The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory of Denmark, in March 2020. The confirmed infection rate was 1 case per 280 inhabitants, one of the highest rates in the world, but the archipelago also tested at a very high frequency, with the number of tests equaling 34 per cent of the population (one of the highest in the world, per capita). As of 28 February 2022, there have been 34648 confirmed cases. Among these, 31 persons have died with COVID-19.
From 1 March 2022 there are no COVID-19 restrictions in the Faroe Islands and no more mass testing.
On 7 February 2022, new daily record was set with 1265 positive cases.
Around 778,000 people were tested for COVID-19 in the Faroe Islands from March 2020 until 28 February 2022. The number of tests is amounting to 14 times the country's population, which as of 1 September 2021, had reached 53,498 according to Statistics Faroe Islands (Hagstova Føroya).
There have been six waves of COVID-19 cases in the Faroe Islands, the biggest one in the last months of 2021 and the first months of 2022. The first was in March–April and the second in July–August and the third was from September until October, the fourth was from early December to mid January 2021, the fifth was from late May to mid August 2021. The sixth wave started in September 2021. The vast majority of the confirmed cases have been asymptomatic or mild; a few were admitted to hospital, and two persons have died. Among the initial 187 cases, the last person recovered on 8 May.
After almost two months with no known cases, one was confirmed on 4 July 2020 when a person tested positive at the entry into the territory, and on 19 July, a family of three were tested positive at their entry. There were several cases in the beginning of August 2020. These cases were all related to the same person and spread on the national holiday ólavsøka, which was celebrated on 28 and 29 July, and during the days after, mainly at private parties, according to the Chief Medical Officer. With massive testing and isolating the persons who tested positive and their close contacts the authorities managed to stop the spreading of the virus. In July and August 2020 there were many foreign sailors who tested positive for COVID-19 when their ship was embarked at a Faroese port.
From 20 August until 11 September 2020 there were no inland case of COVID-19. In September there was a new wave of cases which started on 2 September and continued through the month. All days of September except for 21 September which had ten cases, had between 0 and 5 cases. Half of the days of October had 0 cases. Only two days of October had more than 1 cases. From 21 October 2020 to 6 November there was no inland case of COVID-19 . On 7 November two persons tested positive. One of them had recently arrived from abroad, the test after arrival was negative, but the test on the 6th day was positive. This person had stayed at home during the six days, and their live-in partner was also tested positive said Bjarni á Steig, health consultant for the Faroese Ministry of Health, at the press conference in Tórshavn on 9 November 2020. There was no new case for six days, from 8 to 13 November 2020. On 14 November there was one new case, a person who had travelled from abroad tested positive. All days of November had between 0 and 2 cases. In the first 18 days of December 2020 there were between 0 and 5 daily cases. On 19 December there were 7 new cases including two cases on the National Hospital (Landssjúkrahúsið). On 28 December there were 19 new cases. On 30 December 2020 the first 120 Faroese persons were vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNtech. The first vaccines were given to staff from the three hospitals. On 5 January 2021 the first COVID-19 death took place in the Faroe Islands on the National Hospital in Tórshavn.
As of 17 February 2022 93.1% of the population (12+ years old) have been vaccinated one time with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, 91.2% (12+ years old) have been vaccinated two times, 52.7% of the population (12+ years old) have been vaccinated three times with the same vaccine.
Overview The significant salmon farming on the islands requires test equipment to check for Salmon isavirus, which was repurposed in 2009 against the pandemic H1N1/09 virus. The equipment was adapted to test for COVID-19, and ready by February 2020 to test 600 per day instead of waiting days for samples to be sent to Denmark for testing. The islands employed the usual epidemic strategy of testing, disease surveillance and tracking disease cases, which have been abandoned in most countries because their health care system has been overwhelmed. The Faroe Islands, like Iceland, is seen as an exception due to its large testing capacity relative to its population size; a miniature laboratory with lessons on how to handle the disease. Researchers perform DNA analysis of the virus strains. The islands were preparing for a possible second wave of infections, which started in July and August 2020. On 4 July and 18 July there were first one and then three cases imported by tourist. On 24, 27 and 29 July there were 32 cases amongst foreign sailors, which left the Faroe Islands again. On 3 August there was the first two cases of a row of daily cases where all or most of the infected persons were either Faroese people who had been abroad or Faroese people who live elsewhere and visited their families.
Timeline Below is a detailed description of how the virus spread according to news media in the Faroe Islands. Results were announced in the morning. These results were from swabs taken the day before.
March 2020 4 March On 4 March 2020, the Faroe Islands had its first confirmed case, a man who on 24 February returned home from a conference in Paris, France. He had mild symptoms, and was placed in home quarantine.
6 March On 6 March, a second case was confirmed. The second confirmed case was a woman returning home from Northern Italy. She returned home on 3 March and went in quarantine at Hotel Vágar.
There was much news coverage on the field trips of 300 students and teachers to France, because Glasir (Tórshavn College) decided to cancel the trip because of the COVID-19 outbreak, especially after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark had changed France from a green area to a yellow area, meaning that the recommendation went from "Be attentive" to "Be extra cautious."
12 March The society slows down. Following the announcement on the evening of Wednesday 11 March, that Denmark would be shutting down, the Faroese government had a press conference on Thursday morning at 9:00 am announcing the measures that would be put in place to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Faroe Islands. The recommendations were as follows: All international travel is strongly discouraged, unless absolutely necessary All municipalities are urged to take measures regarding passenger cruise ships on their way to the Faroe Islands Anyone arriving in the Faroe Islands from overseas must take the utmost precaution and stay at home Restrictions on visitors to hospitals and nursing homes will apply. Further guidelines will be issued by the health and local council authorities The school system, including tertiary, secondary and primary schools, will close. Students and pupils will wherever possible have access to remote teaching. Children's activity centres, preschools and day care facilities will also close. Childcare will be offered to those who, for particular reasons, are not able to have their children at home during working hours. All employees in the public sector who do not deal with the most essential services should work from home. Staff will receive further instructions from their respective directors. Measures have already been taken in the private sector to guard against infection. Bars, venues and restaurants are urged to close by 22:00 for the next two weeks.
Shortly after this announcement, Smyril Line announced that they would stop transporting passengers. They would allow the last passengers to get home, but with measures to prevent infected people to get on board, such as vetting them and checking their temperature, before they were allowed entry.
13 March On 13 March, the third case was confirmed. There were 23 tests made the day before, and the only positive one was a woman who came from Denmark on 9 March. The woman went to work in a kindergarten in Klaksvík on 10 March, which meant that her coworkers, children, children's parents and grandparents, as well as her friends were quarantined. Around 100 people were quarantined.
On Friday evening, two new cases were confirmed, but these results belong to the statistics for confirmed cases on Saturday.
The fourth Faroe Islander was confirmed positive. This person was a student at Glasir, Tórshavn College, and he or she was infected on a study tour to Portugal. The students had not been to school since they returned from their trip.
The fifth infected Faroe Islander arrived from Edinburgh, but it was not known when he arrived to the Faroe Islands. He was above 30 and from Tórshavn.
14 March On 14 March, there were six new confirmed cases, bringing the total up to nine. This was the result of testing 100 people the day before.
15 March On 15 March, there were two confirmed cases, bringing the total count up to 11. On this date it was confirmed that 7 of the 11 infected were infected in other countries, while two were infected by people who already tested positive and were in quarantine. Altogether there had been administered 327 tests. The two people who were infected in the Faroe Islands were staff at the kindergarten in Klaksvík where the infected woman worked. By 15 March 327 people had been tested and 122 people were in quarantine.
Before business resumed on Monday, the Faroese government announced four ways they would help businesses get through this crisis. The government will pay companies back the salary of people who have been asked by the government to be in quarantine. People who can work from home are not covered. If companies need to decrease the amount of hours their employees work, the Faroese Employment Office will provide the lost income at a percentage of the maximum payment. Companies can pay their VAT 3 months late. The Danish Growth Fund can assist small and medium-sized companies with financing of operations.
16 March On 16 March, seven new cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 18. These seven positive results came out of 190 tests made the day before, which means that there were 517 tests administered altogether.
The biggest banks in the Faroe Islands, Betri banki and BankNordik announced that they would grant private and commercial clients respite for 6 months.
17 March On 17 March 29 new cases were confirmed, expanding the total number to 47. There were 190 tests administered the day before, bringing the total number of tests for COVID-19 to 703.
The Faroese Epidemic Commission advised people not to gather in groups. They said that no more than 10 people should be together at once, inside or outside.
The Chief Medical Officer in the Faroe Islands announced that at this point, most people have been infected within the Faroe Islands. Most of the infected live in Tórshavn or Klaksvík. Klaksvíkar sjúkrahús started to test for COVID-19, making it easier for people in Eysturoy and the Northern Islands to get tested.
Three employees at the National Hospital of the Faroe Islands were confirmed positive, bringing the total number of infected employees at this hospital to four.
Scandinavian Airlines stopped flying to the Faroe Islands on 17 March. The same day was the last day that Atlantic Airways was transporting passengers on their flights. Now they are only flying essential personnel and patients between Vagar Airport and Copenhagen Airport.
18 March