The spread of infection in the county's primary schools is increasing - distance education is being introduced

- I have decided on distance education 33 times this autumn.

In the last two weeks alone, I have made 6-7 decisions that affect individual classes or parts of year groups, especially in primary and middle school, says Lee Orberson, elementary school director in the city of Stockholm.

There is no pattern in Stockholm municipality where some parts are more affected than others, explains Lee Orberson, who also says that the possibility of gargle testing may be an explanation for more infections being discovered when more students are tested.

Photo: SVT Grafik

Previously, the principal himself could decide whether there was congestion in high school, but this is no longer possible when the rules have been changed.

Instead, recommendations are given from infection control before the principal makes a decision on distance education.

Gargle tests for students

Since the autumn holidays, the region has introduced the possibility for schools to order gargle tests.

According to Lee Orberson, it has become an important tool for more accurate infection tracing and has made it easier to make decisions about measures.

During the autumn of 2021, the infection control doctor in the Stockholm Region has given recommendations on various forms of measures to 54 schools in the entire region. Both for individual classes, more rarely for an entire year or school stage.

During the academic year 2020–2021, 186 corresponding recommendations were given, writes the infection control doctor Maria Rotzen Östlund in an email response.