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HEALTH-VIRUS-SWEDEN
Sweden sticks to its guns as Covid cases rise
STOCKHOLM, Oct 23, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Sweden is seeing an uptick in
coronavirus infections and introducing targeted measures, but the country
that famously refused to lock down is sticking to its guns and insisting
coercive methods are not the way to go.
After two months of declining cases in July and August, Sweden has seen
infections rise steadily since mid-September.
But while many European countries are again introducing draconian measures
like partial lockdowns or curfews to curb the spread of the virus, Sweden —
which has recorded 5,930 Covid-related deaths, one of Europe’s highest per
capita death tolls — is just adjusting its softer approach with targeted
tweaks.
This week, it announced stricter local guidelines in Uppsala, a university
town 70 kilometres (45 miles) north of Stockholm that has seen a spike in
cases since students returned in the autumn.
Among other things, locals have been advised to avoid public transport and
in-person contact with people outside their own household until November 3.
“People can only hold out with such strict guidelines for a limited period
and the timing is important. You can’t start too early and you can’t wait too
long… We hope this is a good time,” state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell
said.
On Thursday the country also introduced restrictions on nightclubs, with
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven admonishing Swedes “that the party is over now
in nightclubs, and it needs to stay that way for as long as necessary”.
Yet Sweden remains one of the only countries in the world that still does
not recommend face masks, arguing they provide a false sense of security that
undermines social distancing efforts.
– Life goes on –
In the capital Stockholm, daily life appears to carry on almost as normal,
as locals stroll through the city bundled up against the chilly autumn
weather and stopping in at cafes, restaurants and shops that have remained
open throughout the pandemic.
And while images in the media occasionally show crowded city buses and
restaurants, surveys by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency found that 80
percent of Swedes have changed their behaviour as a result of
recommendations.
They are working from home or limiting social contacts — even though there
are no fines or sanctions for disregarding them.
In the Sodermalm neighbourhood of Stockholm, where mostly unmasked cyclists
and pedestrians hurried to work during the morning rush hour, Roger Palmqvist
told AFP he trusted the Swedish approach.
But he acknowledged the lighter Swedish touch would probably not work
everywhere.
“There’s nothing that forces you, but Swedes are like that you know, they
follow (rules),” said the 60-year-old sea captain, noting that cultures were
different in other parts of Europe.
– Easing other measures –
On Thursday, the government also lifted its special recommendation in place
since April for people over the age of 70 and risk groups to shield
themselves.
There were concerns the measure was isolating them too much and leading to
other public health issues like depression and loneliness.
Those groups had been urged to avoid shops, public transport and any place
where groups of people gather.
Earlier this month, the government also lifted its ban on visits to nursing
homes — one of the rare restrictions introduced during the pandemic.
Public gatherings of more than 50 people have been prohibited since late
March, but the government said Thursday cultural and sporting events could
now accomodate 300 people as long as they were seated respecting social
distancing.
While polls show a majority of Swedes support the country’s approach, the
strategy has had its detractors, both abroad and domestically.
Some accused Sweden of playing Russian roulette with citizens’ lives early
on in the pandemic, as its death toll surged far past those in neighbouring
countries which adopted stricter measures.
And angry debate has recently surged in the media over Sweden’s policy of
treating most elderly Covid-19 patients with palliative care, deeming them
too weak for intensive care.
More than half of its Covid deaths have occurred in elderly care homes.
Authorities have meanwhile repeatedly stressed that Sweden’s overall
strategy has been chosen to cope with a “marathon, not a sprint.”
Johan Carlson, director of Sweden’s Public Health Agency, said he believed
Europe had shown that shutdowns and reopenings were “not the way forward”.
“Our philosophy is to create a situation where you can live your life in a
reasonably normal way given the restrictions that are in place,” Carlson
said, adding that any approach needed widespread acceptance and adherence.
BSS/AFP/GMR/1326 hrs