– You can risk losing many lives – VG

Although it is now being tested to a greater extent than at the beginning of the pandemic, the number of new infected and hospitalized in Norway is alarming.

The capital stands out. In the last two weeks, 1922 new cases of infection have been registered here.

And we see the same trend as before in the pandemic: infection rates are higher in the districts with the highest density of immigrants.

• In the same period, the Stovner district has reported 453.2 cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.
• In Søndre Nordstrand district, the figure is 448 per 100,000
• The district of Alna has registered 421.7 cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants

By comparison, the district with the lowest infection pressure, Ullern, has 98.4 cases per 100,000 builders.

National FHI figures also point in the same direction. Last week, foreign-born people accounted for 37 percent of all new cases. Among all corona patients, 54 percent have a country of birth other than Norway.

The representative of the city council, Afshan Rafiq (H), is himself from Stovner and knows well the environments where the increase in infection is high.

– One thing is the language; many with an immigrant background do not fully understand what the current rules are at all times. They do not follow the Norwegian media and are not in the same settings where important information on infection control is provided, he says.

– A great challenge

– Do local and national authorities say that they cooperate with so-called “helpers” who help spread information in the surroundings?

– Much work has been done, but not enough. The rules change day by day, it is a great challenge. We cannot leave some of the information work to random organizations and individuals, the so-called “helpers.” I ask for a more systematic and accurate information system from the health authorities, says Rafiq.

– Eventually we can risk losing many lives, and then we may have failed in the basics; that is to say, that people obtain clear and distinct information.

Councilor Raymond Johansen rejects that the Oslo municipality leaves information on infection control regulations to so-called “helpers”.

– We adapt the information to different parts of the population and use different platforms, channels and people to ensure that the information reaches the best possible, it says in a written response to VG.

Read the rest of your response and the response to the Norwegian Health Directorate, below on the case.

Feel the crown comb

During the Moss outbreak in October, the municipality experienced that some lied to the infection tracking team about where they had been and who they had been in contact with.

Rafiq believes that there is also a problem in Oslo, and perhaps especially in the eastern suburbs. It also describes the great shame associated with being infected, which means that you keep it to yourself.

– People are also afraid of being fined because they have not followed the rules. Especially young people who have been to parties where there have been cases of contagion. They know they really shouldn’t have been there, and then it’s not easy to tell the truth, he says and adds:

– It is incredibly important for everyone to take responsibility and above all to be open and honest when infected or contacted in relation to an outbreak, so that the infection can be quickly mapped and calculated.

Rafiq also believes that lifestyle in immigrant communities is important for the spread of the infection. People live closer together and many live with extended families.

– Then it’s a challenge in itself. There are families where children at school enter and leave the house, people who work and the elderly at home.

The Town Hall Leader – Absolutely Necessary with Voluntary Organizations

Councilor Raymond Johansen explains what the municipality did when they saw an increase in infection in the Somali population:

– We use people and organizations who have confidence in this part of the population to inform about infection control rules. We also implement traditional information measures of the municipality. There has been a great improvement among the Somalis. As of today, this is the group that is lowest in infection statistics, based on the country’s background, he says.

Johansen believes that it is absolutely necessary for the municipality to cooperate with voluntary organizations and people that people often listen to.

– It is not enough for the municipality, the National Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Health Directorate to provide information. Often times, it may be more effective for an organization in which it is actively involved to provide information than for the authorities themselves.

He warns against turning the infection on the eastern edge into an “immigrant problem,” noting that various groups throughout the pandemic have been blamed for infecting the virus.

– There have been immigrants, students, alpine tourists, Harry’s merchants and migrant workers. But it is not a specific group that is guilty of this. We are all equally innocent and guilty, and the only important thing is that we do what we can to prevent the spread of the infection.

Looking for more professionals with minority backgrounds

Earlier this week, the government announced that it wants to give an additional 20 million crowns for information work aimed at the immigrant population.

Absolutely necessary, Rafiq believes:

– The pandemic has shown us how unfortunate it is that there are some who live in isolation in Norwegian society, which requires reaching out in crisis situations. Therefore, it is good that you start working with more determination with the stakeholders.

At the same time, he emphasizes, many of the immigrant organizations lack experience in disseminating information in a pandemic crisis.

– There should be a central information dissemination course, so that all organizations can be updated with what information is to be published. In addition, health authorities must include more professionals with minority backgrounds in the work against covid-19.

The Norwegian Health Directorate: – Certainly more can be done

The Norwegian Health Directorate says they do a lot to reach immigrant communities:

• Translate and adapt infection control tips, press conferences, films, posters, and other informational material
• Disseminate it in the environment through, among other things, targeted advertising on social networks and collaboration with radio stations, websites and other media managed by immigrant communities.

– We are in permanent dialogue with immigrant organizations about what kind of measures are necessary and how best to implement them. We also work with health professionals with an immigrant background.

– But certainly more can be done, says Øyvind Giæver, department director of the Department of Living Conditions of the Norwegian Health Directorate.

He adds that they are completely dependent on the people and organizations in the environments for information. At the same time, management agrees that quality assurance can be challenging.

– The objective should be to combine the cultural and linguistic knowledge that volunteers and organizations have, with the experience of national and local authorities in infection control, medical care and psychosocial monitoring. We are attentive to good suggestions on how to do it and we take with us the proposal of courses to disseminate information.