Almost all of the countries in Europe are on coronavirus lockdown, and they also implemented restrictions on movement and penalties for those who will break the rules. However, Sweden has a world of their own. The country's restaurants and bars are still open, playgrounds and schools are still functioning and the government is relying on voluntary action to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Sweden's approach is very controversial, and it has drawn the attention of U.S President Donald Trump. He stated that Sweden is suffering badly because there is action taken to help flatten the curve.
Sweden refuses to go on lockdown
Despite the criticisms, the Swedish government is confident that its policy can work. Foreign Minster Ann Linde stated that President Trump was factually wrong to suggest that Sweden was following the herd immunity theory of letting enough people catch the virus while protecting the vulnerable, meaning a country's population builds up immunity against the disease.
According to the Foreign Minister, Sweden's strategy was no lockdown and they rely on people taking responsibility themselves. Anders Tegnell, Sweden's state epidemiologist, also pushed back against Trump's criticism that Sweden was doing badly. He stated that Sweden is doing okay and that the country is producing quality results the same way it has always done. The Swedish health care is handling the pandemic in a fantastic way so far. As of April 10, Sweden has 9,685 coronavirus cases, 870 deaths, and 381 recovered cases.
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Sweden's actions are about recommending and encouraging, not compulsion. Two days after Spain imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 14, the authorities in Sweden were encouraging people to wash their hands and to stay at home if they are sick. On March 24, new rules were introduced in order to avoid crowing at public places, but the establishments were still open.
Tegnell defended the country's decision to keep establishments and schools open. He said that they know that closing down schools has a lot of effects on health care because a lot of people can't go to their work anymore. A lot of children are suffering when they can't go to school.
A journalist in Stockholm, Elisabeth Liden, stated that the city is less crowded now. She said that the subway went from being packed to having only a few passengers left. The public is taking the recommendations of social distancing seriously. However, she added that while some citizens are following the health measures, others are not.
Fresh surge
The focus of Sweden is to protect the elderly. Anyone who is aged 70 or older has been told to stay at home and to limit their social contact. The World Health Organization or WHO is skeptical of Sweden's approach. They noted that a fresh surge in the country's infections could happen. They stated that it is imperative that the country increases its measures to control the spread of the virus.
A study by Imperial College London estimated that 3.1% of the Swedish population was infected as of March 28, compared to 0.41% in Norway and 2.5% in the UK. As for deaths due to the virus, Sweden as 67 fatalities per 1 million citizens according to the Swedish Health Ministry. Norway had 19 deaths per million and Finland has 7 deaths per million.
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