COVID-19 Case at Hotel Where Government Dined

Hótel Rangá.

Hótel Rangá.

Vala Hafstað

A staff member at Hótel Rangá, South Iceland, where the Icelandic government had dinner Tuesday night, has been diagnosed with COVID-19, mbl.is reports.

A statement from the hotel notes that the hotel has been temporarily closed due a case of COVID-19. The staff member was diagnosed last night.

According to Róbert Marshall, the government’s media representative,  the staff member never entered the room where the government had dinner.

“After consulting with the chief epidemiologist, it is not deemed necessary to take any special action as far as the government members are concerned,” Róbert states.

Some of the members of the Icelandic government.

Some of the members of the Icelandic government. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson

He adds that there are strong disease prevention rules in place at the ministries and access to, for example, the office of the prime minister is limited, in addition to departments within the ministry being strictly separated.

A team of specialists worked last night on tracing the infection and on testing people at Hótel Rangá. For this reason, the hotel will be closed for the coming days, while the scope of the problem is being assessed and disinfection of the premises taking place.

UPDATE 12:30: Ten new domestic cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Iceland yesterday, mbl.is reports. Five of those are connected to Hótel Rangá. As a result, nine out of the Icelandic government’s 11 members will be tested for the coronavirus today, after which they must keep to themselves over the weekend and then be tested again on Monday.

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