Covid-19 spikes among younger age groups in Kiruna

County officials in Sweden’s northernmost region trigger the alarm bell as the latest few days have seen a sharp increase in coronavirus infections.

206 cases are counted on Wednesday, while the last 7-day average in Norrbotten is 151.

Currently, the mining town of Kiruna is worst with 85 new cases in the last two days, public broadcaster SVT reports.

“We have some of the highest spread of infection in Europe. Take your responsibility,” is the message from infection doctor Anders Nystedt.

Schools are closed and on Friday, the local emergency team will announce new measures. For now, the message to people is to stay home, avoid social contacts with others than those you live with, wash hands and wear masks, Norrbotten Region informs on its Facebook site.

While other parts of Europe starts to open up after the pandemic, Kiruna is not the only town in northernmost Sweden now facing a very dramatic spread of the coronavirus.

2,079 new COVID-19 cases are registered in Norrbotten in the course of the last two weeks.

Piteå, Överkalix, Gällivare, Boden, Arvidsjaur and Arjeplog all had more than 4 cases per 1,000 inhabitants over the last two weeks. That is twice the average infection average in Sweden in the period.

The spread in Kiruna is reported to be especially high among youngsters. Kiruna hospital informs that more and younger patients have to be transferred to other hospitals.

Region Norrbotten informs that 40 patients are currently at hospital with COVID-19, of which 13 are under intensive care.

Since the start of the pandemic, 261 persons have died with COVID-19.