Photo taken on Aug. 19, 2013 shows a Faroe-style church in Torshavn, Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands are an island group and archipelago under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. (Xinhua/Yang Jingzhong)
With an offensive testing strategy and quarantine measures, 8,403 islanders in a population of some 48,497 were tested, of which 187 tested positive, all of whom have now recovered.
COPENHAGEN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The government of Faroe Islands, an autonomous group of 18 volcanic islands in the northern Atlantic and part of Denmark, officially declared they were completely free of active COVID-19 cases, according to a press release on the local government website on Saturday.
Adopting an offensive testing strategy and quarantine measures, 8,403 islanders in a population of some 48,497 were tested, of which 187 tested positive, all of whom have now recovered, said Barour a Steig Nielsen, prime minister of the Faroe Islands, which is located 320 kilometers north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway between Norway and Iceland.
Photo taken on Aug. 18, 2013 shows the night view of Torshavn, Faroe Islands. The fishing industry is the most important source of income for the Faroes. Tourism is the second largest industry, followed by woolen and other manufactured products. (Xinhua/Yang Jingzhong)
Meantime, the Faroe Islands had no COVID-19 related deaths.
"Key to the successful outcome has been the timely implementation of appropriate and necessary measures, and the fact that people have respected the guidelines on hygiene and personal distancing," said Nielsen.
He added that measures would continue to apply for the time being, and travelers to the Faroe Islands would still be strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
The first positive case of COVID-19 appeared on March 4 in the Faroe Islands.
Photo taken on Aug. 17, 2013 shows a fishing village in Nolsoy Island of Faroe Islands. (Xinhua/Yang Jingzhong)■
