An outbreak of between 50-60 infections in fully vaccinated individuals in Frogner, west Oslo, has been linked to the Omicron variant.
Tine Ravol, chief infection control physician for the Frogner district, told newspaper VG that there was a “high probability” that the infected people have the Omicron variant and that samples had been sent to NIPH for analysis.
The outbreak is linked to a traveller from South Africa who is reported to have followed all infection control rules but tested themselves after the coverage of the variant in the media. The traveller attended a jobs fair to which infections have been traced.
The positive tests in frogner came after a Christmas party on Friday 26 November, the event’s communications manager Stian Tvede Karlsen explained. None of the participants had tested positive for coronavirus prior to the party, which was held in Oslo.
– We have a strict regime based on what is recommended by the authorities, and then there has been a development that made us want to take special considerations into account. Only vaccinated people were allowed to participate in the company, and everyone had to test negative in advance.
The outbreak is linked to one traveller who came from South Africa last week. The person in question has followed the infection control rules, but tested himself again after much coverage of omicron in the media, says Ravlo. The person was at a job event before the weekend with about 100 people. Here, 30-40 people were infected (latest number is 50-60).
UPDATE 2nd December 2021 – up to 60 infected in this outbreak:
The Omicron variant has been confirmed in the outbreak at Frogner in Oslo
Between 50 and 60 people have now been confirmed infected after the outbreak on Frogner. Oslo Municipality states that the omicron variant has been proven.
Assistant district chief physician and infection control chief physician in Frogner, Tine Ravlo, states that between 50 and 60 people have been infected in connection with the outbreak. According to Ravlo, the number may increase.
UPDATE 2: Frogner, in Oslo, is less than 30km from Lillestrøm where a tractor fair seems to have turned into another Covid superspreader event. Around 37,000 people have been asked to test themselves following the tractor fair outbreak.
