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“I think we failed. We have a huge death toll and it’s terrible.”
This is how the King of Sweden, Carlos Gustavo, defined the year 2020, marked by the country’s controversial strategy against covid-19.
Sweden has been criticized for its handling of the pandemic, in which it has never imposed the total lockdown that has been observed in other European countries, and based, rather than binding rules, on recommendations to the population.
There have been nearly 350,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 7,800 deaths in Sweden.
“The Swedish people have suffered tremendously under difficult conditions. One thinks of all the family members who have not been able to say goodbye to their sick relatives. I think it is a difficult and traumatic experience to not being able to say a warm goodbye, ”he said in the Annual TV Show in which you review the year ending.
When asked if he was afraid of getting infected with the virus, the 74-year-old king replied: “Lately it’s become more and more obvious, he’s been getting closer and closer. This is not what you want. “
Instead of relying on rules and sanctions, Sweden appeals to the responsibility and civic duty of citizens, and the authorities limit themselves to issuing recommendations. There is no punishment for those who ignore them.
The Swedish government has never imposed full containment or mandatory mask use, and bars and restaurants have remained open.
However, a few days ago, schools in the capital Stockholm were urged to switch to distance education as soon as possible to their students aged 13 to 15 for the first time. The measure was announced in response to the increase in infections.
A week earlier, distance education for over 16s had been decided across the country.
And on Monday, new recommendations arrived at the national level on social distance for the Christmas period, replacing those that had been issued by regional authorities.
The advice to Swedes is not to assemble more than eight people, to do it outside if possible and to avoid traveling by train or bus.
The ban on public gatherings of more than eight people remains in force, affecting events such as concerts, sports competitions and demonstrations.
The controversy of “voluntary” measures
The Chief Epidemiologist of the Swedish State, Anders Tegnell, said in November that the country’s strategy combined legal measures and voluntary actions.
He told the BBC: “We think this is really the best” in the Swedish context.
According to an official report released this week, the national strategy is failing to protect seniors in residences, for which the government has accepted responsibility.
More than 90% of COVID-related deaths have occurred among people over the age of 70 and nearly half in nursing homes and dependents, according to the government.
Tegnell said the body he heads, the Swedish Public Health Agency, is not responsible for running these centers and that all stakeholders should help improve the situation to ensure that old people don’t catch it.
For Tegnell, Sweden has improved protection for the elderly and said that no country has completely succeeded in this task.
The Swedish epidemiologist recalled in an interview with Sverige Radio on Wednesday that even Germany was now hard hit.
Sweden was also singled out for being one of the countries with the highest number of cases per capita and accumulating more deaths than all the other Nordic states combined.
This drew criticism from neighbors like Norway, Denmark and Finland, who complain that Sweden’s lax policy endangers the effectiveness of their own measures.
Tuesday, the Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Lofven, said he felt many experts had underestimated Wave 2.
“I think many in the profession haven’t seen such a wave coming,” he told Aftonbladet newspaper.
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