MUTATION – A festive evening in the Norwegian capital has turned into a probable focus of infection with the Omicron variant, heightening fears over its high transmissibility and resistance to vaccines.
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A week after a company party that took place on November 26 in Oslo, the atmosphere was no longer at all party. Out of 120 guests, all vaccinated, 64 guests, or a large half, tested positive for Covid-19, reinforcing fears about the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and its resistance to vaccines.
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One of the participants had indeed recently returned from South Africa where this new variant was initially detected.
“Everything had been done in order”
“Everything had been done in order and no rule was violated”, municipal health authority official Tine Ravlo told AFP on Friday, insisting that all those who took part in the evening “had been vaccinated, none showed symptoms and they had all performed a self-test” Before the meal.
“Our working hypothesis is that at least half of the 120 participants were infected with the Omicron variant during the party”, A senior official at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Preben Aavitsland, told AFP. That would make it “biggest Omicron outbreak outside of South Africa”, he said.
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Still provisional, these numbers are likely to increase as testing analyzes progress. Among the infected guests, none have so far developed a severe form of the disease, most showing mild symptoms in the form of headaches, inflammation of the throat and cough, according to Ms Ravlo.
The appearance of this outbreak deemed “worrying”
After the appearance he described as “worrying” of this suspected outbreak of the Omicron variant, the Norwegian government on Thursday announced a series of health restrictions in Oslo and its region. Since midnight (23:00 GMT), wearing a mask is compulsory in and around Oslo on public transport, taxis, shopping centers and shops where distance is impossible. Telecommuting has also become the rule where possible, the number of people in private indoor events is capped at 100, and patrons of bars and restaurants must register with alcohol to be served seated. Christmas meals generally very watered and dear to the Norwegians, the “julebord” – like the one organized by Scatec – are not prohibited but several institutions and companies have canceled theirs.
