The doctor about Åre visitors: don’t come here

Of: Adam westin

Published: December 25, 2020 at 3:01 p.m.
Updated: Dec 25, 2020 at 3:22 p.m.

ÅRE / DUVED / ÖSTERSUND. Most of Åre’s 20,000 Christmas visitors seem to think that everything is going well despite the pandemic.

We found the skeptic at Östersund Hospital.

– I don’t think you understand how critical the situation is if you don’t get medical attention, says orthopedic surgeon Lars Korsnes.

One mile from Åre is Duved. This spring, all the staff at the local Ica store fell ill with covid-19.

– It was after the skin on Åre that he broke out. Unfortunately, some of the staff were in that regard. So all the staff members got sick in rounds from March to April. In any case, it feels good now, because we think most people still have antibodies, says Jan Duvdahl, CEO of Ica Duved.

This day before the baptism, Ica Duved is crammed with merchandise and Jan Duvdahl has little time to speak. Duved is a rapidly growing city, the Ica store has become too small and there are plans to build a new one.

The CEO and all staff have great respect for COVID-19, especially in light of his previous disease outbreaks. There are warning signs and fewer shopping baskets, special hours and free home delivery for the elderly. When there are extra people, they put a host at the door, who blocks people in and out of the store.

Christmas shopping has started well for Ica Duved, but they sell about 20 percent less than a normal year.

– There are not so many rental houses here, but we depend on the owners of their houses to come. And there are a lot of Norwegians who don’t.

For Ica Duved and for the entire business community in Åredalen, it is essential that the ski system does not have to be closed like this spring. Jan Duvdahl is still struggling to plan the business. What happens next week? Will there be sports vacations?

– Duved is a tourist center. Without tourists, we may not have restaurants, schools, and everything else to the extent that we do. Clearly it goes hand in hand, says Jan Duvdahl.

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The tail of the most popular ski lift in Åre stretches up the hill.

Skistar COO Niclas Sjögren Berg is happy with that.

– That’s exactly what we want them to be: long lines. It may sound wrong to say so, but the longer the queue, the greater the distance that guests keep.

Niclas Sjögren Berg is skiing in the Åre ski area to check that everything is flowing as it should.

– It looks fantastic. It snows a little lightly, just the kind of Christmas atmosphere you want on the slopes.

If you see photos of Åre this Christmas, you will see a lot of people. But if you look at Skistar’s drone footage over the tail systems, you see that the skiers keep their distance, according to the operations manager.

The “length of the bar” is the guiding light and most visitors seem satisfied.

– People do not make an effort, they keep their distance and have respect. I think it has worked beyond expectations, says Weronica Lundgren from Onsala.

His family had originally planned to go abroad, but it had to be to the mountains.

– We reason as if we were with the family, the mother, the father and three boys. We do not go out with others, but we are in our cabin. And we have ordered food online. So I think we have followed the restrictions that have been imposed. So it works great on the ski slopes and we’re out and about, getting fresh air and trying to make the most of this Christmas.

Reijo Hedström from Nykvarn, on the other hand, isn’t particularly pleased with the long lines at the elevator.

– I think it’s excessive. Take a look at Ullared. There are a million people there and there are no restrictions. I think it is a game for galleries.

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Skistar is a bjässe company with a turnover of SEK 2.3 billion. In Sweden, they own and operate the Åre, Sälen, Vemdalen and Hammarbybacken ski resorts. In Norway they have Hemsedal and Trysil, and in Austria Sankt Johann in Tirol.

During a peak season week like Christmas, Åre typically has between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors. This Christmas, it has decreased by about a quarter, according to Destino Åre, which means about 20,000 people.

Despite the pandemic, Swedes are more anxious than usual for downhill skiing. Skistar’s recent quarterly report shows an increase in bookings in Sweden by eight percent.

However, fewer foreign tourists arrive. Most notable is the lack of Norwegians.

– I think many people want to be in the mountains, a relaxing outdoor environment where skiing is fantastic in the times that we live in. Because it’s a non-contact outdoor sport where they can stay away from each other, says Niclas Sjögren Berg.

What would be the worst scenario for you?

– The worst case scenario is what worries everyone, that this is increasing even more in our society. Nobody wants that to happen. That is why it is important to follow the recommendations of the Public Health Agency, regardless of whether you are at home or going on vacation. Because you can’t take a vacation from the crown.

Others choose to stay home for Christmas and isolate themselves. What do you say to the critics?

– What we have done is that we have done it safely, taking care of our guests and employees. We follow our organization of the industry and the authorities with whom we have had a dialogue during the fall, and we relate to the directives that we have from there, says Niclas Sjögren Berg, director of operations of Skistar.

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Those who are most critical of people who are tourists in Åre during a flaming pandemic are probably not in Åre.

Winter tourists and visitors are happy to ski.

Those who arrive with the night train say they have stayed in their compartment.

Families who went by car say they drive home if they get sick.

If you stop someone in the city, it is not impossible that the person works at Skistar or depends on the ski season.

But the risk of spreading the infection is not the only danger that many people go to the mountains at this time.

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In the Östersund emergency room, he checks in outdoors. The receptionist is sitting at what looks like a barbecue kiosk.

It’s dark and windy. An old woman at the reception is holding onto the arm of a man, who may be her son. You’re curious about their thoughts on skiers in Åre, but we don’t bother them.

Orthopedic surgeon Lars Korsnes is on duty. We can talk if we interrupt the interview when he searches. And, as long as it is clear that what he expresses are personal opinions, not the official position of the region.

Personal opinion is that you should stay home.

– If you are not a permanent resident in eg Åre, but you have a holiday accommodation there, my advice is that you do not go there during Christmas and New Years if it is just for fun.

Lars Korsnes is Norwegian and likes to ski.

– I haven’t done it this year, but I like cross-country skiing with the dogs.

As an orthopedist, he often works with hip and knee replacement insertions. Those patients have been turned upside down by the pandemic.

Lars Korsnes is also responsible for emergency orthopedics, which is required, for example, in car accidents and ski accidents. And the 10 intensive care places in the region are largely occupied by people who are being treated for covid-19.

On December 22, many ski tourists arrived at the emergency room, three so seriously injured that a trauma alarm was activated. So far, the load has been manageable.

– But if there is a car accident with two seriously injured, or if the pandemic increases, or in the worst case both at the same time. So we have filled everything and we have no margin to play. We risk that it could be a dangerous situation for our patients, because intensive care is overloaded.

Does this ultimately mean that you cannot save lives?

Lars Korsnes nods.

– It’s risky. If we had the same level of skiing as before, there is a risk that our intensive care will not be enough. So it is very fragile now.

You are worried?

– Yes, I’m worried. And it’s not just skiing, it’s all car skiing in the rest of Sweden as well.

Still, he says he is not triggered by the images of happy tourists on the ski slopes.

– What happens in our intensive care units is not visible if you are not health personnel. It is happening within the walls of the hospital and it is very critical. We are on the verge of breaking down, says Lars Korsnes, chief orthopedic surgeon at Östersund Hospital.

Published: December 25, 2020 at 3:01 p.m.

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