COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic and Subarctic

ABSTRACT

The pandemic caused by the deadly Coronavirus has spread across the entire world, impacting the lives and livelihood of billions of people living in different regions. Even the Arctic and Subarctic regions are also not exempted from the spread and effect of this pandemic. In this study, we emphasize the COVID-19 pandemic situation of the Arctic and Subarctic regions. Even though the population density of these regions is significantly less, the eminent impact due to COVID-19 remains the same, perhaps more, considering the harsh weather, less communication, and health facilities. We have analyzed seasonal pandemic scenarios, risks, governance responses, and resilience of the locals as well as governments in and around the Arctic and Subarctic regions of Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States (Alaska). Despite these regions being extreme, the results reveal that the devastating effect of the pandemic remains almost the same at par with the context of the significantly lower population density. However, the governance shows a silver lining during this period, proving that humankind can win any battle for its sustenance with proper governance and management actions. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.