Sorsele municipality has no registered deaths linked to covid-19, so far, according to the latest statistics from the National Board of Health and Welfare, something that Folkbladet was first with telling. The second best is the municipality of Storfors with four deaths from covid-19.
– It is about a combination of low spread of infection in society, but also that we were lucky and did not get it into nursing homes, says Linda Björn Lindberg.
“It’s a bit of a coincidence”
In Sorsele there are three nursing homes and one short-term home. The first case of covid in a nursing home was confirmed last autumn. Linda Björn Lindberg believes that quick decisions have contributed to being able to keep the infection away from the residences.
– We have had a good dialogue, from decision-makers to those who work on the floor. It has been quick to implement decisions.
More municipalities in Västerbotten’s hinterland are on the top ten list, but there are others that have been hit very hard. Storuman was hit hard at the beginning of the pandemic when the infection was brought into a nursing home and several elderly people died.
– Most of the deaths occurred at the beginning of the pandemic. It’s a bit about chance in combination with being good at combating the infection. But if you get a lot of covid in the village, you also have a higher death rate, says Anders Johansson, medical director at healthcare hygiene in Västerbotten.
“No one has had to go away alone”
– It’s fantastic that we haven’t had elderly people who have fallen ill and that no one has had to pass away on their own, as many others have gone through. But the elderly still had a tough time when they lost the social connection with relatives, says Björn Lindberg.
Sorsele municipality retained restrictions on the number of visitors to accommodation longer than the rest of the country, including the maximum number for group gatherings.
– We still work today with mouth protection when working close to care and it is full protective equipment if infection is noticed at us. We also have very good vaccination coverage among staff and users, she says.