Inga-Lill Bengtsson: Inga-Lill Bengtsson: ”We can’t give them a hug, we’ll have to put up with that”
On Tuesday 3rd March Skåne had its first case of the corona virus covid-19, a 26-year-old man who had been on a skiing holiday in Italy. He was isolated in hospital. Nobody could imagine how things would subsequently develope in Skåne, Sweden and the world. The community has come to a standstill. No-one is unaffected.
Some people have lost their jobs, or are in danger of doing so. Skansen in Stockholm risks going bankrupt. Liseberg in Gothenburg is forced to remain closed, something that did not even happen during both World Wars. Several sports clubs have had to lay off employees, the future of the football season is in the balance. Not to mention all the people who fall ill.
Right from the start Kb Mosaik reported about covid-19 in several languages, in easy Swedish, English and Arabic. We were almost alone in doing this. A few weeks later Folkhälsomyndigheten was given 75 million crowns to spread information in different languages. Now you can find information in 24 languages on their homepage. The authorities, including the municipalities, have now begun to give out information in several languages. ABK has knocked on doors and handed out information leaflets about the importance of hand-washing and other advice.
The corona virus won’t be the end of the world.
”The illnes has nothing to do with ethnicity”Mewlid Kalinrih, a student nurse
There are some rays of light. The state and the municipalities are making a huge effort to back up in various ways. 700 people with some kind of medical training are interested in working in Region Skåne. More staff are needed.
– We need cleaners, laundry-workers, service-hosts, people to help with meals, and porters. We need people with professional training too, for example cooks, says Andreas Hallström, HR-specialist in regional service.
”f you think it takes too long for new arrivals to become integrated, do something about it instead of complaining, lend a hand”Bengt Wihlborg, integration guide
Six Somalis have died of covid-19. A fact which made extreme movements start spreading their propaganda. Kb Mosaik has spoken to Mewlid Kalinrih, a student nurse. He says:
– We don’’t know about the origins of the others, more than 100 people have died. The illnes has nothing to do with ethnicity, and it is unethical to point out one particular group. Something we can’t turn a blind eye to is overcrowding. That is a bigger risk.
Read more about what he thinks on page 22.
If you have time to spare – put your name down as an integration guide.
– If you think it takes too long for new arrivals to become integrated, do something about it instead of complaining, lend a hand, says Bengt Wihlborg, who helps a family from the Congo. See the article on pages 6-8.
I agree with my colleague Sofyan Aswad:
– I’m not afraid of catching covid-19, but I am afraid of infecting others.
That’s how all of us should think. Get out into the spring sunshine, enjoy a walk, favour local shops, businesses, restaurants and cafés – but keep your distance. Happy Easter!
