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ANNOYING: Mayor Elisabeth Helmersen (Labor Party) in Leka Municipality in Trøndelag. Photo: Odin Jæger
The municipality of Leka has been free of infection throughout the pandemic. Crisis management is now considering closing the island to tourists from infected areas at Easter.
– I am worried about Easter, because now we are in the race, and it will be very sad if we fail now. We managed during the Christmas and winter holidays and now we have to manage during the Easter holidays, says Mayor Elisabeth Helmersen to VG.
The island is now considering closing down for Easter tourism in heavily infected areas.
It was Adresseavisen who first mentioned the case.
Here you can read about VG’s visit to Leka municipality in February. The municipality is one of 13 municipalities that have been free of infection throughout the corona pandemic.
Will decide the week before Easter
Crisis management in the municipality is now considering various measures to prevent infection at Easter, but Helmersen says it is too early to say anything about where the municipality will land.
– When will you know if the municipality will be closed to tourists for Easter?
– A lot can happen in the coming weeks, but we want clear measures within a week before Palm Sunday. At that time, I agree that the government should have made its recommendations and we can make an assessment of whether we need stricter local measures at Easter, he says.
– Would you like a national cabin ban?
– At this point, it is too early for both the government and others to say that something about a booth ban would be correct.
LEKA: We have also had great costs among our own population, as they have had to follow strict measures. The inhabitants are tired of the pandemic; This applies not only to those who live in big cities, but to the entire country, says Mayor Elisabeth Helmersen in Leka Municipality, who has been infection-free throughout the pandemic. Photo: Odin Jæger
I do not agree with the strategy of the vaccine.
In early March it was announced that there would be changes in the distribution of vaccines. In the distribution of the new vaccine, the municipality of Leka must yield 39 percent of its doses.
The municipality initially receives 12 doses of vaccines per week, but the doses will be reduced next week. It happens against Helmersen’s wishes.
The Labor politician has spoken with Oslo City Council leader and party colleague Raymond Johansen (Labor Party) about the new vaccine strategy, and confirms that they have different views on what distribution should look like.
– Every mayor is obliged to do what is best for the interests of his people. Raymond Johansen is obliged to do this in Oslo, and he has. I have to do the same for my population, otherwise I will fail, he says.
– Very vulnerable
Helmersen believes it could have major consequences if the small island municipality becomes infected.
– A small municipality like ours is very vulnerable.
The only way the virus can reach the island is by sea, he notes.
– This means that the crew are very exposed to being infected, and if many of them have to be quarantined, it is a challenge to have enough crew on the ferry that watches over the continent, he says, adding:
– Also, we only have two grocery stores – what do we do if there is an infection in both? These are absolutely essential and elementary things that concern me.
