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In total, 12 of the 16 choir members of the Lystgården Vokal adult choir in Bergen have been confirmed to be infected with covid-19. The Norwegian Choir Association is critical of the choir rehearsal rooms.
– Lystgården Vokal is quoted as saying that they have followed the infection control advice for musical exercises, which is misleading. Among other things, they have rehearsed in considerably smaller rooms than recommended in our guide, General Secretary Åsmund Mæhle of the Norwegian Choir Association tells Dagbladet.
The choir association emphasizes that they also praise Lystgården Vokal for the work they have done with tracking infections after the rehearsal and the good cooperation they have had with the municipality.
The chorus responds
The president of the choir in question, Arild Inge Bakke, informs Dagbladet that they have tried to keep a good distance between the choir singers during rehearsals. He says the room was 51 square meters, they had rubbing alcohol in it, and there was no close contact between the showgirls.
– In relation to the rehearsals of our choir, we have complied with the rule of the meter and, at the same time, we have endeavored to achieve a greater distance. For most of the choir members, the distances have been greater. As we have interpreted the guide, this is also the minimum requirement, says choir president Arild Inge Bakke to Dagbladet.
The disagreements are due to the fact that the Norwegian Music Council has developed a musical exercise guide, which has been approved by the health authorities, where the distance requirement is two meters in front and one and a half meters to the side between the members of the chorus. Lystgården Vokal, on the other hand, has been linked to the national council from a meter away.
Spread of infection
On Monday, August 31, 16 members of Lystgården Vokal, which is a mixed adult choir, attended a choir rehearsal in Bergen. The next day, one of the members felt bad and suspected that it could be covid-19.
On Wednesday and Thursday, several others in the choir began to have symptoms, and on Friday the entire choir was quarantined, after infection was confirmed in test number two.
– Then we understood the seriousness, says Choir Chairman Bakke to Dagbladet.
The case has previously been mentioned by NRK.
– Very surprising
One tested negative
12 of the 16 who participated in the exercise tested positive for covid-19. President Bakke is one of them.
– I’m fine, and I think most of the others in the choir have also had relatively mild symptoms and are on the road to recovery, but getting infected is clearly a strain. We take it seriously, says Bakke.
Of the remaining four members of the choir, who have not tested positive for the virus, two are considered immune after being infected with the disease earlier this year. One member has tested negative and the last member has yet to receive a response to their test, says Bakke.
– He has not yet received comments on his test, but he has also had some symptoms, so he may also be infected, says the chairman of the board.
Stimulating
President Bakken says they present the story because they mean they experience the virus as highly contagious.
– It was surprising that so many of us got sick, says Bakke.
Bakke says they don’t have a good answer to what has happened and thinks it’s encouraging that the coronavirus is so contagious.
Smittesporingen in the press
Suggest three meters
During Thursday’s press conference in Bergen, Health Councilor Beate Husa (KrF) emphasized the importance of maintaining distance during such exercises, calling for a distance of three meters during exercises.
SINTEF has carried out a study that has investigated whether musical exercises present a higher risk of infection than normal social gatherings. The study was commissioned by the Norwegian Choirs Association, which believes it corroborates that participation in cultural activities is justified with the distance rules contained in the Norwegian Music Council’s guide.
The Norwegian Music Council states that even in some student choirs, singers have been diagnosed with infection, without pointing to choir rehearsal or singing activity as the reason for this.
– We are concerned that there is so much shame associated with the disease, it is extremely important that it is open even in the case of small violations of infection control rules, as it can potentially have significant social consequences, says President Bjørgulv Vinje Borgundvaag in a statement to Dagbladet.
