A Norwegian pensioner tested positive for corona in Spain – and went to the lobby bar. Now 18 elderly Norwegians and two employees at the hotel in Torremolinos are infected.
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– When we learned that he was positive, we lost control of him, admits general manager of Vitus Reiser Håvard Moldskred to VG.
One of the infected has been hospitalized, the others have been quarantined. Moldslide states that everyone is fully vaccinated and has mild symptoms.
The tour operator at Sotra near Bergen arranges trips for adults. 96 of their guests are staying this week at the Aguamarina Suites in Torremolinos on the sunny coast.
The beachfront hotel at the popular destination states to have 130 junior suites.
An older man did not feel well before leaving on November 1, but still joined the group of about 30 who traveled with Vitus from Bergen to Malaga.
– We give clear recommendations that everyone should be healthy. If they are not, they should not travel. It is pure folk custom, says the head of Vitus Reiser.
The man later tested positive.
– The hospital thinks he brought the infection from Bergen, says Moldskred.
–– Should have gone in isolation
But before that time, the man was sitting at a six-person table in the restaurant and taking part in excursions with the other travelers. Eventually, four others at the same table became ill.
One of them went to the private hospital Quironsalud on Saturday and was confirmed infected. He was admitted for the weekend, but on Monday the hospital discovered that he was no longer there.
– The hospital notified the hotel management that he had run away. It turned out that he had returned to the hotel and mingled with others in the lobby bar and restaurant.
Moldskred states that the hotel manager walked around looking for the man.
– Who in all days could imagine that he was sitting at the bar. He should of course go straight to solitary confinement in the room, says the Vitus boss.
–The tour operator had no overview of which close contacts the infected person had had.
– Then we lost a bit of the thread and decided to run a quick test on all of them, Moldskred says.
About 30 travelers from Bergen who had been together on excursions, tested themselves on Tuesday.
– Skeptical of testing
– But among those who were to go home next Saturday, some were skeptical to test themselves, in case the result should be positive, Moldskred states.
After Vitus had quarantined his 96 guests in the rooms, everyone agreed to have their quickest Thursday.
– We can not demand that double vaccinated people be tested or denied access to the dining hall and common areas, but had to drive a little tight, Moldskred says.
The result was that a total of 18 Norwegians were found infected, plus a waiter and a cleaning assistant. The infected remain in quarantine at the hotel until they have recovered and can return home.
–– Highly unusual
22 people who travel with Vitus Reiser from Oslo and Bergen on Saturday and were to be accommodated at Aguamarina Suites, will be accommodated at other hotels in Torremolinos.
– Spain is a safe destination, but we can never guarantee ourselves against anything.
– At least when travelers bring infection from home or wander around with a positive test?
– The hospital states that it is highly unusual. It has not happened before.
– Was there anything in their follow-up that failed in this case?
– I mean we can not guard against such things. If people follow the infection control rules, it is unproblematic. I find no reason to change the routines.
– Everything according to the book
– What do you think about the whole story?
– That it is incredibly important to get the third booster dose, says Håvard Moldskred.
He announced on Friday afternoon that local Spanish authorities have been inspecting Aguamarina Suites in Torremolinos.
– They have given notice that both the hotel and we have done everything according to the book. It was a nice message to get – I almost got tears in my eyes, says Håvard Moldskred.
Vitus Reiser had 7,000 travelers in 2019, before the pandemic. Their average age is 67 years.
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