At least 70 staff at Malaga hospital test Covid-positive after Christmas meal for 174

The majority of those infected work in the Regional Hospital’s intensive care unit and were apparently vaccinated. They are now in self-isolation

JUAN SOTO

Monday, 6 December 2021, 09:56 | Updated 10:06h.

Accustomed to fighting coronavirus on the frontline, a significant number of health professionals from Malaga’s Regional Hospital have been infected with Covid-19 and have gone from being health workers to patients in self-isolation.

SUR has been able to confirm that at least 70 workers at the city hospital are in quarantine at home after supposedly being infected at a Christmas meal for staff.

The Junta de Andalucía's General Directorate of Public Health has reported an outbreak that affects 22 professionals from the Regional Hospital, although different sources consulted by SUR raise that figure to 70. The majority of those infected work in the hospital’s intensive care unit. All were apparently vaccinated and most of them are asymptomatic.

The source of the outbreak has not yet been determined, although indications are that the workers were infected during a Christmas meal held in a restaurant in the city less than a week ago, which was attended by 174 people.

After detecting the coronavirus positives, the hospital has carried out tests on all medical professionals and has implemented the usual protocols in this type of situation. Those who have tested positive are in self-isolation and the hospital has been forced to move staff around between departments to guarantee the provision of care in the ICU department. On Sunday, 5 December, doctors and nurses from the hospital's accident and emergency department were drafted onto the intensive care wards.

As a result of the outbreak some other hospital units have decided to postpone their Christmas celebrations. Others, on the other hand, have chosen to divide them into two sittings so as not to compromise the daily work in the hospital in the event of more infections.

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