[ad_1]
There are no big Christmas and New Years parties. There are no welcome parties. No unnecessary travel. This is the call from the government and the Public Health Agency for the weekends. The norm for Christmas celebrations is eight people. The next few weeks will probably involve a lot of commitments when the Christmas celebrations cannot be carried out in the usual way.
How to behave in Christmas shopping?
– You should, as far as possible, buy yourself, use all hours of the day and distribute Christmas purchases. If there are a lot of people, you should avoid going into the stores and returning at another time of day. You should, as much as possible, shop digitally to avoid staying in premises with other people, says Karin Tegmark Wisell, a department head at the Swedish Public Health Agency.
The prime minister says buses and trains should be avoided. The Swedish Public Health Agency talks about infectious travel. Does this mean that your own car is asking you to find out this Christmas?
– It is preferable to use other means of transport than buses and trains, but it is clear that not everyone has the opportunity to bring their own car or bicycle or walk. If you have to travel, you should do so when it is possible to reserve a seat ticket. We also hold tour organizers, such as SJ and public transport accountable, who must have enough outings so that it is not crowded and who must think about how to make trips infection-proof for those who cannot bring their own car, says Bitte Bråstad, General Counsel of the Swedish Public Health Agency.
Other countries in the Nordic countries recommend mouth protection when traveling at Christmas, how does the Swedish Public Health Agency reason?
– Public transport is not an area where we see a great spread of the infection, but it cannot be ruled out that it will be crowded in some contexts. There you have to decide for yourself if you want to wear a mouth guard. We do not have a general recommendation on oral protection, as we do not support oral protection reducing the risk of the common man in this situation. It is much better to make sure that there are not too many people, that is the important message.
How to sit at the Christmas table if not everyone lives in the same household?
– It is preferable to keep your distance, give a more contagious meal, says Karin Tegmark Wisell.
– It is also important to have a celebration, especially if you do not live in a home with other people. You have to decide for yourself how you want to carry out your Christmas Eve together, but close contact increases the risk of transmitting the infection. If someone is over 70 years of age or belongs to a risk group, that person can get a more serious illness.
Should a person meeting an older person be quarantined before Christmas?
– We have not prescribed quarantine in any way, but what it can carry with it is that the fewer contacts you have, the lower the risk of contracting the disease. Quarantine is a way to minimize risks before meeting a person in a risk group, says Karin Tegmark Wisell.
Is the hotel preferable to staying with relatives?
– It depends on the conditions that exist in the relative. If it is possible to keep your distance and you can ensure that you do not spend time together in smaller spaces, then you can create a risk-free home. If those conditions do not exist, it may be preferable to stay in a hotel, says Karin Tegmark Wisell.
If we take care of ourselves during Christmas, does that mean a reduced risk that we will have a new peak in January?
– We still do not know enough about this disease, but we know that it is close contacts that make us spread the infection further. If we have a few contacts, less spread of the infection in society and a lower incidence of the disease, better conditions are created to keep infection low both in the short and long term, says Karin Tegmark Wisell.
