Christmas party horror as 70 workers test positive for Covid after festive lunch

Covid-19: There is a 'responsibility' to be vaccinated says doctor

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Most affected worked in the intensive care unit of Malaga’s Carlos Haya Hospital in Spain. While health chiefs have only confirmed 22 cases so far, local media estimate that the number is likely to rise beyond 70.

According to their reports, 68 hospital staff have been tested positive for Covid, with results that the officials haven’t released yet.

The outbreak has been blamed on a Christmas lunch attended by more than 170 people held at a restaurant in Malaga’s Teatinos neighbourhood.

All those who attended are understood to have taken a lateral flow test before the event.

At least 70 workers at Carlos Haya are said to have been ordered to self-isolate at home.

The majority of those who tested positive for the virus have been described as “asymptomatic”.

Hospital bosses have reportedly been forced to transfer doctors and nurses from other departments including A&E to cover the gaps left by the staff currently in quarantine.

It is not yet clear if any of the health professionals have caught the Omicron variant.

The coronavirus outbreak has reportedly led to staff working in other parts of the hospital, a public hospital complex consisting of four different centres and one specialist clinic, cancelling their Christmas lunches.

Others are said to have swapped one large get-together for two separate events with half the numbers in a reorganisation of their initial plans.

The emergence of the hospital outbreak comes as the number of cases in Malaga province continues to rise.

Figures released by health chiefs on Friday, the last day data was available, showed 23 of the 89 people hospitalised with COVID-19 were in intensive care.

Spain has so far ruled out forced vaccination, but Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre yesterday urged the double-jabbed to try to persuade those who have yet to have been immunised.

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The majority of those who tested positive for the virus have been described as “asymptomatic.”

Hospital bosses are said to have been forced to transfer doctors and nurses from other departments including A&E to cover the gaps left by the staff currently in quarantine.

It is not yet clear if any of the health professionals have caught the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

The coronavirus outbreak has reportedly led to staff working in other parts of the hospital, a public hospital complex consisting of four different centres and one specialist clinic, cancelling their Christmas lunches.

The deadly new variant, described as the “worst one yet” has been spreading rapidly as case numbers surged by more than 50 percent in a day.

246 cases have been detected in Britain, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed on Sunday.

The number of cases grew by 86 in a single day, while it is likely that “hundreds” more are circulating undetected.

Additional reporting by Natalia Penza.

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