A possible group infection caused by the British variant of COVID-19 could be on the rise after two people were diagnosed in the last two days outside of quarantine.
It is still believed that the British variant is more contagious than the virus that spread in Iceland.
Chief epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason spoke at a civil defence meeting yesterday afternoon saying that a passenger had arrived in Iceland on February 26 with a negative PCR test and a negative previous screening at the border.
The second screening, five days after arriving in the country, however, was positive with the British variant of the virus.
The infected did not break quarantine rules
The person who came from outside seems to have infected two in the quarantine, but Þórólfur says there is no evidence that the person in question broke any quarantine rules.
The people lived in the same stairwell in an apartment building which explains how the virus could have been spread.
These two could have infected a number of people, within Landspítali and at a concert at Harpa. One of the infected went to a concert with Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson in Harpa on Friday night.
All those who attended the concert are being screened today; they will be able to register for a test through Heilsuvera.is.
Doesn’t take much for the virus to spread
At the civil defence meeting, Þórólfur said this shows how little it takes for a new wave to start but it is important to react quickly and try to stifle the transmission routes of infection.
He went on to say that the next few days are crucial in stopping the spread of the virus. He hopes that in the future it will be possible to see how widespread the virus is and whether stricter measures need to be imposed.
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