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The King of Sweden condemned the country’s government response to the Covid-19 pandemic on a day when new cases reached a record high.
“I think we have failed. We have a large number of deaths and it is terrible. It is something that we all share the suffering of,” King Carl XVI Gustaf said in a Christmas interview with the Swedish channel SVT.
It’s a criticism that accompanies Prime Minister Stefan Löfven under review for his coronavirus policy as new cases rise.
The Swedish state broadcaster (SVT) reported a record high level of Covid-19 patients in hospital this week and some intensive care units are said to be at full capacity.
On Tuesday, Löfven admitted that his collective immunity strategy had failed. “This is proof that this is a virus that we didn’t know about before and that behaves in ways that many would not have thought of,” he said.
No lockdown for Sweden: The country never locked itself in the first wave and was well into the second when voluntary precautions were recommended regionally.
November restrictions: As the number of cases increased in November, the prime minister imposed a nationwide ban on public gatherings of more than eight people. Most recently, he ordered theaters and entertainment venues closed and advised students between the ages of 13 and 15 to switch to online learning.
Christmas meetings: But in private settings, people are only recommended to “interact with each other in smaller circles,” according to government guidelines. During the Christmas holidays, people are asked not to meet people outside their immediate circle. Wearing a mask is not recommended.
High number of deaths in nursing homes: An independent report from a special committee this week attributed the high number of deaths in nursing homes to “the overall spread of the virus in society.” He says measures for nursing homes have been delayed despite initial reports that the elderly are particularly vulnerable.
Some conclusions on where we could have been better have already been drawn, ”said Löfven.
As of Thursday there were 8,815 new cases of Covid-18 – the highest number recorded in 24 hours since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the Swedish Health Agency, marking an increase of more than 2,000 cases compared to last week. Sweden has recorded 7,893 deaths from the virus, more per capita than other Scandinavian countries.
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