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On Wednesday, eight regions had special local councils to limit the spread of Covid-19. This applies to Halland, Jönköping County, Skåne, Stockholm, Uppsala, Västra Götaland, Örebro County and Östergötland.
Additional regions now want stricter local councils, but are awaiting information from the Public Health Agency.
Mikael Johansson (M), president of the regional board in the Kronoberg Region, says that they have an ongoing dialogue with the authority:
– I would have liked to have seen local general advice here. If you look at the infection, we have been one of the regions with the highest spread recently. Thus, we have that contact with the Public Health Agency and we indicate our figures. Then it is up to them to decide which regions, in what order, how many per week and everything they have to decide, he says.
If you look at the infection, we have been one of the regions with the highest spread recently.
Now they are preparing for a formal decision.
– We understand that something is happening considering how our situation is. The day is coming when we are ready. We have discussions with the county administrative board and municipalities about how we should do it if the decision comes. Who comes out with the information? What do city councils say about swimming pools, libraries and other things? Says Johansson.
The Norrbotten region also wants introduce local general advice and the infection control doctor has contacted the Public Health Agency. No decision has been made yet.
– My assessment is that an effort is needed to stop the spread of the infection. What we’ve said throughout the pandemic is not enough to keep your distance, wash your hands, and stay home when you’re sick. We’ve been getting that message across since last winter and now it still looks like that, infection control physician Anders Nystedt said in a news release Monday.
We believe that it is good to have advice that is adapted to our situation. It will be easy from Stockholm’s perspective otherwise
Region Sörmland is also in favor of the measure, confirms Monica Johansson (S), president of the regional board.
– We believe that it is good to have advice that is adapted to our situation. Otherwise it will be easy from Stockholm’s perspective, whereas other measures may be required here, he says and continues:
– I believe that the Public Health Agency has acted well, with prudence and speed. They have contact with infection control physicians and are sensitive to regional needs. When the first regions received local advice, we did not have that need, but now the spread of the infection has increased.
Hans Boman, an infection control doctor for the Västernorrland region, has been in dialogue with the Swedish Public Health Agency about local advice since Tuesday.
– We are beginning to wonder if it is time here too. There is not much else to do, but it is the tool that is available. We don’t know if it works yet, but it’s worth a try.
There are more regions that want go the same way
– We see the need for these (local councils) to be introduced in Västmanland as well. We will have a first dialogue with the Public Health Agency about such an introduction at the end of this week, writes Jan Smedjegård, infection control doctor in the Västmanland Region, in an email to DN.
The Västerbotten, Blekinge, Kalmar County and Värmland regions also see the need for stricter guidelines, but when it becomes relevant remains to be seen, they tell DN.
State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell at a press conference on Tuesday, November 3.
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer / TT
During a press conference on Tuesday Anders Tegnell, a state epidemiologist with the Public Health Agency, explained why the tips are introduced locally rather than nationally.
– It has a couple of different aspects. For one thing, there is a slight difference between the different regions, how the spread of the infection looks and where it takes place. Therefore, our assessment is that it is good to have personalized advice that is suitable for the regions. In part, this has meant that we have had a very good collaboration with the regions and within the regions with the various activities there. And in this way, I think, we will have a greater impact than we would if we tried to do something nationally.
– So, in the long term, there may be a reason to do things also at the national level, but in this situation I think the regional anchor is good, Tegnell said at the press conference.
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