50 Omicron cases in Norway linked to firm’s holiday party
Officials say infections in and around Oslo are connected to the event at a restaurant.
COPENHAGEN — At least 50 people in and around Norway’s capital have been infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant, and the cases are connected to a company’s Christmas party in an Oslo restaurant, officials said Thursday.
“More cases are expected. Effective tracing is being done to limit transmission routes and prevent major outbreaks,” the Oslo municipality said in a statement.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health said that those affected live in Oslo and surrounding municipalities and that “the infection detection team in Oslo has contacted the municipalities concerned to start infection detection.”
The agency said that there was “a high vaccination coverage” in the group, adding that overall “more than 50 cases” have been recorded in Norway. The country’s first two cases were announced Monday.
On Wednesday, the city of Oslo urged people who visited two restaurants in the capital to be tested. One reportedly was where the Christmas party was held.
Much remains unknown about Omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill and whether it can thwart vaccines.