The authorities have confirmed that around 50 people have been infected with the Mexican variant of the coronavirus after eating in a restaurant in North Zealand, which has not so far been named in the media.

It is further believed they have gone on to infect 17 of their close contacts. 

Intensive detection infection efforts have been stepped up.

“This means, for safety’s sake, that we must now also address close contacts,” explained the Patient Safety Authority on Twitter.

First outbreak, but no major worries
“This is the first time that we have dealt with the Mexican variant on this scale. We have not seen an outbreak like it before,” Bente Møller, a unit manager at the Patient Safety Authority, told TV2.

But the Mexican variant does not immediately give cause for concern.

“It is not assessed differently from the common coronavirus,’’ commented the Patient Safety Authority on Twitter.

The Mexican variant is not on the so-called VOC list (Variants of Concern) issued by Statens Serum Institut, which includes corona variants considered to be extra infectious and/or have reduced sensitivity to antibodies, such as the British, South African and Brazilian strains.