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On the night of September 6, a person who tested positive for Covid-19 stayed at the Gletscherspalte bar and music club in Engelberg. This has far-reaching consequences. Also because many guests gave false contacts.
Despite the intensification of corona tests, the number of cases in the canton of Obwalden has remained low so far. And now this: after visiting the Engelberg bar and the Gletscherspalte music club, a visitor tested positive for the virus. Now all the employees and guests who were in the club must go to quarantine. Around 300 people from at least 14 cantons and abroad are affected, as announced by the canton of Obwalden on Thursday night. Among them are 100 people from Obwalden alone.
The person who tested positive was at the club on the night of September 6. According to the canton, he is a middle-aged man. He showed symptoms of illness at the beginning of the week and tested positive.
“This is a dramatic situation for the canton of Obwalden,” says Patrick Csomor, head of the health department. The reason: the club did have a protection concept and also recorded the contact details of its guests. The list was handwritten. But: “Many visitors gave false information,” says Csomor. A phenomenon that in fact should already be known after similar incidents in other cantons.
The virus can spread rapidly and uncontrollably
The current situation is particularly difficult for the canton because it was only able to react late. And he still hasn’t been able to contact many of the club’s visitors. “This means that there is a risk of other people becoming infected,” says Csomor. This could allow the virus to spread rapidly and uncontrollably. In addition, it is not clear if the origin of the disease of the man who tested positive is the club. Therefore, the canton doctor has ordered the quarantine in the form of a general order:
- All the people who were in the club on Saturday night, September 5, and early morning on Sunday, September 6, must be in quarantine from now until September 15.
- People who have not yet been asked to self-quarantine should contact the competent authorities in their canton.
Csomor appeals to the personal responsibility of each individual. But he also says: “This case teaches us.” The canton will take the necessary precautions so that cases with incomplete and incorrectly completed contact lists are not repeated. It will be clarified with the operator how exactly these measures will be implemented.
The health department now works in corona mode
According to Patrick Csomor, the case is also a major challenge for contact tracing. The health department can be completely geared towards contact tracing on short notice. But that is only possible for a few days. After that, the health department has to go back to normal work.
The crown case has consequences for the club in question. It will be closed until further notice, as confirmed by Csomor. Before it can be reopened, the concept of protection and, above all, the reliability of the visitor’s contact details must be improved.
