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The incidence of Covid-19 in Ireland is higher than in Sweden for the first time during the pandemic, new figures show.
Ireland recorded 30.6 cases of the virus per 100,000 inhabitants over the past 14 days, according to an update from the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC).
This is up to 12 times higher than Ireland’s lowest incidence, recorded at the end of June, but marks a slight improvement from the previous day after weeks of steady increase.
Sweden, where aversion to lockdowns and most other strict restrictions has attracted massive international scrutiny, saw its incidence drop sharply in the latest ECDC update, to 23.4 cases per 100,000 population.
The mortality rate in both countries is the same, 0.1 per 100,000 inhabitants during the last 14 days.
At least 17 other European countries now have a lower incidence of Covid-19 than Ireland, despite many of them seeing increases in recent months.
Figures show that while Ireland was not the only one to see an increase in cases during this period, its increase was greater than in many other EU states.
Continental increase
The UK, Germany, Iceland and Denmark, which also have a lower incidence than Ireland, appear to have been more successful than Ireland in controlling the waves experienced in late summer.
Sweden, which kept most schools and businesses open during the height of the pandemic, suffered a higher death rate than its neighbors. But the pace of new infections and deaths has slowed markedly since late June.
Spain has the highest incidence of the disease in Europe, 205.5, followed by Malta (94.6), France (88.7), Croatia (87.1) and Romania (84.1).
There are currently nine countries on Ireland’s green list that people can travel to without having to self-quarantine. The list was last updated in early August; Ryanair has called for it to be expanded to include other countries with lower incidence of the disease.
According to the ECDC, the incidence of Covid-19 in Europe has increased for 38 days. Rates are increasing in Ireland and 13 other countries.
Trust
One of the The six special envoys of the World Health Organization on Covid-19 has highlighted the Swedish virus response as a model that other countries should emulate in the long term.
Dr. David Nabarro, speaking in a radio interview in New Zealand, said: “For all countries, the real approach that we must aim for is through behavior that is adopted everywhere.”
Dr. Nabarro said the key to a sustainable strategy against the coronavirus is trust and pointed to Sweden as an example. The Nordic nation imposed far fewer movement restrictions than others and instead relied on the Swedes to act responsibly and adopt the guidelines set by the country’s health authorities.
“In Sweden, the government could trust the public and the public could trust the government,” Dr. Nabarro told Magic Talk.
Sweden’s Covid-19 death rate is considerably higher than in many other countries, 57 per 100,000. But the pace of new infections and deaths has slowed markedly since late June. The development prompted Sweden’s national health agency to propose increasing the limit for certain public gatherings to 500 people from 50.
In contrast, other governments around the world are reimposing stricter measures amid a resurgence of cases.
Dr. Nabarro described a confinement as “a forceful instrument” that “really affects the livelihood of everyone, particularly the poorest people and small businesses.”
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