COPENHAGEN: Iceland on Wednesday tightened COVID-19 restrictions, including lowering the limit on public gatherings to 10 people, after seeing a spike in infections with a more contagious coronavirus variant.

Gyms, swimming pools, cinemas and nightclubs will need to close from Thursday, while hairdressers and beauty parlours can remain open and restaurants can serve guests until 10 p.m., the government said in a statement.

Schools and universities will also close until at least after the Easter holidays.

The new rules, which will remain in force for three weeks, come after a spike in group infections in the past few days, the government said.

All the new infections had been with a more contagious variant first identified in Britain.