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Prime Minister Stefan Löfven does not have a new crisis law to shut down Sweden. Meanwhile, one trusts the advice and recommendations.
Sweden is approaching the world peak in COVID-19 deaths relative to population. That is the background to the serious speech Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (Social Democrat) made this weekend.
The big question, however, is: Why is Sweden content with advice and recommendations for the population? And why not close shopping malls, restaurants and gyms as neighboring countries have done?
The answer is simple: Surprisingly, the Swedish government does not have a crisis law that gives them the right to shut down.
According to the Worldometer, which closely monitors the corona pandemic, Sweden currently has 633 deaths per million inhabitants. Denmark has 135 deaths, Norway 56 and 69 deaths and Iceland 76 deaths.
The difference is completely insane. In large numbers, it is ten times more deadly to live in Sweden during the pandemic than in Norway, Finland and Iceland.
The high death toll in Sweden is tragic. The Swedes are our closest neighbors and traditionally we are close to each other. Now the borders are closed, and with the difference in contagions and measures, it is unlikely that the neighborhood relationship will normalize before a large part of the population has been vaccinated against covid-19.
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Recent revelations suggest that Swedish statesman Anders Tegnell totally lost his confidence that so-called herd immunity curbs the pandemic. So far, there is no indication that the Swedes are getting close to herd immunity. Worldometer operates with just under 210,000 coronavirus cases.
It represents no more than two percent of the population, and while many more are estimated to have become infected and gained immunity, there is a long way to go before a necessary base of 60 percent. If you want to stop the infection, social distancing and hand hygiene are absolutely necessary tools.
Stefan Löfven’s speech shows a completely new perceived desperation and seriousness. Swedes are advised to associate only with their own family, while people living alone are advised to limit their social life to one or two friends.
Therefore, the advice is quite harsh, but it is not accompanied by legal measures. Among the recommended measures are the closure of shopping centers, restaurants, the prohibition of private parties and the closure of gyms.
The only problem is that the Swedish government does not have the legal authority to take such drastic measures. They had a crisis law this spring, but have yet to do anything to revive it, according to Swedish media reports.
The professor of medical epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet, Jonas F. Ludvigsson, does not rule out that a generalized confinement may be necessary, but points out that it has serious consequences for society: – Now we see a light in the tunnel, we know that the vaccines are coming, perhaps starting early next year. This likely creates a greater acceptance of stricter measures among Swedes, Ludvigsson tells Nyteknik.se.
Others are trying harder, including virologist and professor Fredrik Elgh: – In two weeks, Sweden will be back in the same situation as this spring, with as many covid patients hospitalized as in April, he tells SVT.
His advice is to introduce strict measures, like closing restaurants and pubs, and that no one should be able to meet in public, that is, a closure. – In my view, we must speak of coercion since today’s recommendations are not sufficiently followed. Many people follow the instructions, but not all, I see it every day, says the virologist.
The difference between the measures in Sweden and Denmark means that the Danes reserve venues in Malmö to celebrate, according to a report from Swedish Television (SVT).
The Swedish Minister for Social Affairs, Lena Hallengren, does not want a law that implies a total blockade and believes that the recommendations and advice are sufficient.
Meanwhile, life goes on as usual in Stockholm restaurant life. Through the Bokabord reservation site, it is not difficult to get a table at various restaurants in the city. While SATS is closed in Norway, Swedes can choose from SATS centers in Stockholm, both for individual training and for group lessons.
Meanwhile, the number of new corona cases is increasing and around 20 people die every day. Right now, the official death toll is 6,406 people.
In Stockholm alone, 2,000 new cases are reported per day and the curves point upward. But restaurants and health clubs are open, and Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has not been given a mandate to close them.
Meanwhile, one relies on serious speeches and recommendations. It is actually quite incredible that state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell and Prime Minister Stefan Löfven have no nascent fear that Sweden has chosen a completely wrong corona strategy.
P.S! What do you mean? Do you support the Swedish or Norwegian way of dealing with the corona pandemic? Write a reader letter!
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