The infection numbers in Romerike exceeded ten thousand cases on Monday. The numbers continue to increase during the Easter holidays, and the worst off right now is Rælingen, which has experienced several outbreaks in the last week.
The municipality now has 971.4 cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants, reports Romerikes Blad. It is the highest of all municipalities in Norway.
Mayor Ståle Grøtte (Labor Party) tells Dagbladet that the situation is demanding, and that the municipality has brought in restaurant workers to help with the detection of infection.
Survived 36 days in the jungle
Has no fixed plan
Grøtte says that the municipality has no concrete plan for further measures, and that they assess the situation with each passing day.
Why exactly did Rælingen end up in this situation?
– We have had a high infection pressure over time, and had major outbreaks in two kindergartens and at several upper secondary schools, Grøtte answers.
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He compares the municipality with the neighbors Lørenskog and Lillestrøm, who have also had a high corona infection recently. Lørenskog follows Rælingen as number five on the list of the ten municipalities with the most infection right now, while the latter excels with its absence.
Rælingen, which is sandwiched between the two mentioned municipalities, has several commuting inhabitants, the mayor explains.
The municipalities with the highest infection pressure now:
|
commune |
Infected per 100,000 |
| The railing | 971,4 |
| Fjord | 941,5 |
| Sarpsborg | 870,8 |
| City | 856,5 |
| Lørenskog | 829,7 |
| Haugesund | 797,7 |
| Woolen things | 757,1 |
| Enebakk | 738,1 |
| Oslo | 637,5 |
| Drammen | 623,4 |
Tall as of March 29th. Source: FHI
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– Yes, we have many commuters to larger workplaces, including construction sites. There are many cases associated with them, but that is only part of the picture, he says.
When asked whether the municipality will be able to introduce even stricter measures during the Easter holidays, Grøtte says that the strategy now is to wait and see if the measures will have the desired effect.
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– We have very many cases, he admits, and continues:
– We have had a red level in the schools since last week, and will keep it that way until the week after Easter. Our kindergartens are also not open at Easter, the mayor states.
What is the plan if the infection rates continue to increase?
– The plan is that we have a continuous dialogue (in the municipality, journ.anm.), And look at the situation.
– The tremor of frustration
Gets bartenders for infection tracking
Grøtte further explains that Rælingen has manned the infection teams over the weekend to handle the situation.
– Among other things, we have recruited people from other industries, including the bar and restaurant industry. In addition, there are a number of municipal employees who have worked extraordinarily, and will continue to do so through Easter. The most important thing is that we have enough resources for the follow-up of infection, which is very resource-intensive.
When Dagbladet talks to him on Monday night, Grøtte says that the municipality has slightly fewer cases today than it was this weekend.
– There are eleven new ones today, and we have been up to 20-30 some days. But 11 is still a lot for Rælingen.
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