The Swedish king has condemned the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic on a day when new cases hit record numbers.
“I believe we have failed. We have killed a great many people and that is terrible. It is something we all share the suffering of,” said King Carl XVI Gustaf in a Christmas interview with Swedish broadcaster SVT.
It is criticism that comes with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven being scrutinized for his coronavirus policy as new cases increase.
The Swedish state broadcaster (SVT) reported a record high of Covid-19 patients in the hospital this week and some ICUs are said to be at capacity.
On Tuesday, Löfven acknowledged that his strategy to achieve herd immunity had failed. “It is proof that it is a virus that we were not aware of before and that behaves in a way many would not have imagined,” he said
No lockdown for Sweden: The country never went into lockdown on the first wave and was well into the second when voluntary precautions were recommended at the regional level.
November Restrictions: With cases increasing in November, the prime minister imposed a national ban on public gatherings of more than eight people. More recently, he closed theaters and entertainment venues and advised 13-15 year olds to transition to online learning.
Christmas gatherings: But in private situations, people are only advised to “hang out with each other in smaller circles,” according to government guidelines. During Christmas parties, people are urged not to meet people outside their immediate environment. Wearing a mask is not recommended.
High deaths in nursing homes: An independent report from a special committee this week attributed the high number of deaths in care homes to the “widespread spread of the virus in society.” It claims that the measures for care homes came too late despite early information that older people were particularly vulnerable.
Some conclusions have already been drawn about where we could have been better, ”said Löfven.
On Thursday, there were 8,815 new Covid-18 cases – the highest number recorded in a 24-hour period since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the Swedish Health Authority, which represents an increase of more than 2,000 cases from last week. Sweden has had 7,893 deaths from the virus, more per capita than other Scandinavian countries.