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Some areas of Sweden are seeing a worrying resurgence in coronavirus infections because many people seem to have set aside months of caution in favor of a fulfilling social life once again, its prime minister said Thursday.
Unlike most countries, Sweden avoided a mandatory national lockdown against the pandemic, instead calling for personal responsibility, social distancing, and good hygiene to curb rather than eradicate a disease that was seen as here to stay.
Although it still has a much lower COVID-19 case burden than many other European countries, Sweden has seen a gradual increase in new infections in recent weeks. 533 new ones were reported Thursday, the highest daily number since early July.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said that Swedes had recently become too relaxed about following anti-COVID guidelines.
“In Sweden, the situation is comparatively … stable, but we also see signs that the number of infections is increasing in certain areas of our country. That is worrying,” he told a news conference.
“The caution that existed in the spring has been increasingly replaced by hugs and parties, bus rides in rush hour traffic, and everyday life that, for many, seems to return to normal.
“What we do now, we will rejoice later. What we do wrong now, we will suffer later,” added Lofven.
He urged the Swedes to adhere to social distancing and good hygiene standards, warning that the government was ready to introduce stricter measures if necessary to curb the spread of the virus.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing a small rebound in Sweden,” chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told reporters.
“It’s slowly but surely moving in the wrong direction, something we talked about that could happen in the fall when we get back to work.”
Sweden reported two new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total to 5,878 since the start of the pandemic.
That toll is many times more per capita than in its Nordic neighbors, but also well below countries like Spain and Italy that opted for tough national closures.
The government also said Thursday that it had decided to extend a credit guarantee scheme for small and medium-sized businesses until the end of the year.
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