Over 50 Christmas party-goers infected with Covid in Norway in what could be world’s biggest Omicron outbreak
AT LEAST 50 Christmas party-goers have been infected with Covid in Norway which may lead to be world’s biggest Omicron outbreak.
Staff from renewable energy company Scatec reportedly attended the event on November 26 in Oslo.
One person from the group has tested positive for the Omicron variant so far with more cases expected to follow, Oslo’s authorities said on Thursday.
A spokesperson said: “We are working actively with contact tracing to limit the spread and prevent bigger outbreaks.”
It is believed at least one of the guests had recently returned from the company’s Cape Town office.
If more of the group are confirmed to have Omicron it will be the single biggest known outbreak in the world.
Tine Ravlo, assistant chief infection control doctor in Frogner District, said a initial case samples indicated it was likely it was Omicron.
Analysis has ruled out the cases being the Delta variant.
The district’s responsible infection control doctor told Avisa Oslo the cases have clues they are Omicron.
Dr Jorunn Thaulow said: “We have not received it definitively confirmed, but there are very strong indications that it is Omicron in this outbreak.”
TRAVEL FEARS
Brits face having to take pricey PCR swabs to travel to Europe under new EU plans to contain the Omicron variant.
Eurocrats can hit non-EU countries with extra travel curbs under an “emergency brake” system to keep variants out.
Like the UK, they’ve already banned flights from many nations in Southern Africa, where the Omicron strain originated.
Spain has already banned all unvaccinated Brits from entering the country in a bid to contain a new strain of coronavirus.
Until now, Britons could enter Spain by showing a negative PCR test result taken up to 72 hours before arriving, but from 1 December they will also need proof of a Covid-19 vaccination.
Brussels published new guidance on Wednesday saying countries should introduce extra testing requirements to slow the arrival of the strain.
But Boris Johnson says parties should not be cancelled because of Covid — and children can still have their school nativity plays.
In a stinging rebuke to one of the country’s top doctors, the PM batted away calls for families to scrap get-togethers in the coming weeks amid fears over the Omicron variant.
He said instead he would “throw everything” to get every adult a third jab by the end of January, deploying the Army to help the NHS in temporary vaccine hubs “popping up like Christmas trees”.
Care minister Gillian Keegan said the new travel rules are being kept under constant review and could be tightened further.
There are still dozens of questions about the new highly mutated strain, to which it will take several weeks to get answers.
Scientists are working around the clock to work out if it does indeed spread faster, dodge immunity or change the severity of the disease.
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