According to reports from the BBC, at least 68 doctors turned out to be at Covid after attending a Christmas party in southern Spain. This was stated by the local authorities. Most are doctors and nurses working in the intensive care unit of the regional hospital of Málaga, in Andalusia.
Health authorities said last Wednesday they were all at a party attended by around 170 people. All guests submitted negative antigen tests prior to the event, but more than half are now in isolation. Infected personnel are vaccinated and show no symptoms.
The situation created an emergency in the intensive care unit where staff work, so doctors and nurses were called back from other clinics.
The Omicron variant and the spread of the epidemic have increased concerns about the risk of spreading Covid at social events during the Christmas period. In fact, to limit this risk, the Andalusian health authorities had advised hospital staff not to participate in the Christmas holidays. Appeal ended in a vacuum, apparently.
Just last Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged people to be very careful during the holidays. “We must not let our guard down,” he told reporters in the capital, Madrid.