Sweden claims ‘vindication’ over anti-lockdown policy as Covid cases hit new low
Rate of positive tests has fallen from 19% at peak of pandemic to just 1.3%
Sweden is claiming a major victory in the battle against Covid-19 after recording its lowest rate of positive coronavirus tests yet despite ramping up the country’s testing regime to record levels.
The Swedish Health Ministry says that 120,000 tests have been conducted over the last week, of which just 1.3% came back positive. This rate had soared as high as 19% at the peak of the pandemic, fuelling international criticism of Sweden’s decision not to impose a lockdown and instead rely on citizens to observe social distancing and good hygiene.
But with other countries across Europe now seeing surges in infections, the authorities in Stockholm are celebrating “what one health official said was a vindication of its relatively non-intrusive Covid-19 strategy”, reports The Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Professor Johan Carlson, director of Sweden’s Public Health Agency, told the newspaper that his country’s response to the outbreak had been “consistent and sustainable”.
Swedes seemed to be benefiting from widespread immunity after being allowed to continue with their everyday lives during the first wave, he said, adding: “We probably have a lower risk of [the virus] spreading than other countries.”
In an interview with The Observer last month, Sweden’s state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell claimed that almost a third of the country’s citizens could now be immune to the virus - although this figure was disputed.
“In another striking illustration of the progress Sweden has made, it is now recording fewer new cases per capita than Norway, which introduced one of Europe’s earliest lockdowns, for the first time since April,” says The Times.
Indeed, Sweden now has the lowest rate of spread in Scandinavia, with hospitalisations and deaths also at low levels.
To date, Sweden has recorded more than 5,800 Covid-related deaths, “many times higher per capita than in neighbouring Nordic countries, but lower than Italy, Spain and the UK”, says Reuters.
However, the recent praise for Stockholm’s Covid strategy has angered some commentators, who point out that despite tripling testing since June, Sweden has still recorded the fifth-highest per capita death rate in Europe.
“It seems some numbers need to be repeated,” says an editorial in Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. “Sweden has 5,837 dead in COVID-19. A proportion five times higher than Denmark.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Indie film's 'very brief' use of AI sparks backlash and calls for boycotts
Talking Points Did the creators of a new horror movie make a deal with the artificial intelligence devil?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Could Taylor Swift swing the election?
Today's Big Question The pop star has outsized influence — and that extends beyond the music industry
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How happy is Finland really?
Today's Big Question Nordic nation tops global happiness survey for seventh year in a row with 'focus on contentment over joy'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The hollow classroom
Opinion Remote school let kids down. It will take much more than extra tutoring for kids to recover.
By Mark Gimein Published
-
How Tehran became the world's nose job capital
Under the radar Iranian doctors raise alarm over low costs, weak regulation and online influence of 'Western beauty standards'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Africa's renewed battle against female genital mutilation
Under the radar Campaigners call for ban in Sierra Leone after deaths of three girls as coast-to-coast convoy prepares to depart
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Excess screen time is making children only see what is in front of them
Under the radar The future is looking blurry. And very nearsighted.
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Argentina: the therapy capital of the world
Under the radar Buenos Aires natives go hungry to pay for psychoanalysis, amid growing instability, anxiety – and societal acceptance
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Covid-19: what to know about UK's new Juno and Pirola variants
in depth Rapidly spreading new JN.1 strain is 'yet another reminder that the pandemic is far from over'
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Does declining birth rate spell doom for Britain?
Today's Big Question Ageing population puts pressure on welfare state, economy and fabric of society, while fertility is rising on populist agendas
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published