The corona eruption has caused competition for protective equipment such as plastic gloves, mouth guards and protective aprons to intensify. It is difficult for an individual Swedish municipality to obtain what is needed in the global market.

To increase access to what is needed in care, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Uppsala are now merging. Together, the cities in the guaranty go for SEK 500 million and thus enable SKI, which is a shopping center owned by all municipalities together, to buy what is needed. The equipment will then be distributed among all municipalities in the country according to a priority set by the National Board of Health and Welfare.

- Many of the city's employees work hard in a difficult situation. We will do our utmost to provide them with the safest and safest working environment possible. They are obviously for us to contribute so that we can access the right protective equipment, ”says Axel Josefson (M), the chairman of the municipal council in Gothenburg, in a press release.

If and when more municipalities choose to participate and contribute with guarantee commitments, the commitments of the first four municipalities will decrease. A decision from the guarantor requires approval from the city council.

In Gothenburg, the matter will be dealt with by the municipal council during Wednesday's meeting. Subsequently, for decisions on guarantee commitments, approval of all four municipalities' municipal councils is required.