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In several regions, healthcare is more burdened now than it was last spring. Stockholm Health Director Björn Eriksson called the need for care “historically great” during a news conference on Tuesday.
Nationwide, the spread of the infection is increasing, said Sara Byfors, head of unit at the Public Health Agency.
– In Sweden, unfortunately, we can see an increase again. We have a greater increase at the national level, we do not know why it is, we will have to come back with that, he said.
She hopes the pressure on intensive care will also increase.
Le Monde: Why didn’t Sweden react faster?
There were many questions from foreign media. The Bloomberg news agency wondered if it can really settle for the measures that exist to flatten the curve.
– It is not impossible, for us to simply reduce contacts with others, said Sara Byfors.
Frenchman Le Monde wondered how Sweden could not react quickly during the second wave.
– Why did Sweden think it should be avoided? Why didn’t they react earlier, when you could see what was happening in other countries so clearly? Asked the newspaper.
According to Sara Byfors, the infection is so new that it is still difficult to predict. While some countries that weren’t heavily affected this spring are now, other countries that weren’t during the first or second wave, he said.
– We reacted when the infection began to increase throughout the country, we do not know if the measures that had been previously implemented had any effect on that development.
Israeli Haaretz: Is it the strategy that is wrong?
Le Monde continued. Many other European countries with lower mortality than Sweden have imposed stricter restrictions much earlier. They are sufficient, albeit strict, recommendations when Swedes go to eat at a restaurant while restaurants are closed in the middle of Europe, the journalist wondered.
– These are the tools we have from the Swedish Public Health Agency. Give advice and recommendations. In our regulation, we are clear that we are pressing the responsibility of the individual, so whether or not it is enough to wait for this, we will see, said Sara Byfors.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz also wondered about the Swedish strategy and why they have no longer closed the company, closed schools and demanded oral protection.
– Can it be interpreted in the sense that the Public Health Agency believes that it is not the strategy that fails, but rather that mortality depends on other factors? Asked Haaretz.
Sara Byfors said that the Swedish strategy has always meant minimizing the number of deaths and the number of seriously ill, and that this has not changed. However, funding for the strategy has, according to Byfors.
– Since yesterday, we have tightened the advice and recommendations to the Swedish people, and what they should do to reduce the infection, he said and mentioned, among other things, the prohibition of alcohol and the maximum limit of 8 people as additional measures.
