THE SOMALI COMMUNITY of Finland has voiced its concern about reports that the incidence of coronavirus infections is high among its members, writes YLE.
The City of Helsinki on Tuesday communicated that coronavirus infections among members of the minority-language group have increased sharply to almost 200, a number that accounts for 1.8 per cent of Somali-language speakers in Helsinki.
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The corresponding percentage among the whole population of the city is 0.2.
Mohamed Ali Jama, the chairperson of the Finnish Somali League, told YLE on Wednesday that the community is concerned about being singled out in the context of the coronavirus epidemic.
“The Somali community is the third most discriminated group in Europe,” he reminded in an interview with the public broadcaster. “There are concerns that the city’s statement could complicate our lives further.”
Jama said the community would have preferred it if the reason for the relatively high number of infections had been investigated within the community before making a public announcement on the issue.
Helsinki has accounted for over a half of the 2,133 coronavirus infections confirmed in Uusimaa, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
