Sweden now has more coronavirus patients in the hospital than at any stage of the pandemic, as anti-lockdown expert Anders Tegnell admits: ‘We are at the limit’
- Sweden has faced controversy for never imposing any sort of lockdown seen in Europe
- According to the most recent data, the country has registered 17,395 new cases of coronavirus since Friday
- Figures show December 17 was the deadliest day since the pandemic began with 116 Covid deaths, surpassing an earlier peak of 115 daily deaths in April
Sweden has registered 17,395 new cases of coronavirus since Friday, bringing the total to more than 500,000 cases since the start of the pandemic.
According to the Healthy Agency statistics, the country now has more coronavirus patients in hospital than at any stage of the pandemic as hospitals grapple with a rampant second wave of the virus.
Sweden has made headlines around the world by never enforcing the kind of lockdown seen elsewhere in Europe, but it has begun to tighten measures in light of a stronger-than-expected second wave in recent months.
Figures show that December 17 was the deadliest day since the pandemic began with 116 deaths, surpassing an earlier peak of 115 daily deaths in April.
While Sweden still has about 20 percent spare capacity in intensive care units, there are concerns that the spread will accelerate again as people return to work and school after the holidays.
“It’s pretty clear the health care system is just as tense now (as it was during the spring),” Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, the architect of an unorthodox pandemic strategy that has avoided lockdowns, told a news conference.
“We are almost at the limit of what healthcare can handle.”
On Friday, the Swedish parliament passed a pandemic law giving the government new powers to curb the spread of Covid in a country that hitherto controversially relied on mostly non-coercive measures.
The new law, which came into effect on Sunday, allows the government to close businesses, shopping centers or public transportation.
Under the new law, the government has the power to shut down public transport. Pictured: Passengers with face masks leave a commuter train at Malmö Central Station in Malmö
The government can also impose restrictions on the number of people allowed in specific public places, rather than general restrictions on public gatherings.
Violation of the new restrictions will in most cases lead to a fine, which was not possible before.
Unlike many other countries, Sweden has no legislation allowing the government to shut down society in peacetime.
In November, a ban on public gatherings of more than eight people went into effect and a recommendation on the use of face masks in public transport took effect on Thursday.
The special pandemic law, in effect until September, was first scheduled to go into effect in March, but it was moved to January.
The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 234 new deaths since Friday, bringing the total to 9,667.
The deaths recorded have occurred over several days and weeks, with many from the Christmas period being recorded with significant delays.
The second wave has also affected how Sweden views the way the authorities are dealing with the crisis.
In December, 47 percent said they had relatively high or high confidence in the actions of the government and the agencies, up from 52 percent in the previous month.
The per capita death rate in Sweden is several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbors, but lower than in several European countries that have opted for lockdowns.