A) Sweden passed a lockdown law in January and put major restrictions on movement in place shortly thereafter. Those restrictions were gradually lifted beginning in May. https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-swedens-new-covid-lockdown-law-takes-effect/a-56185101
B) Sweden still saw a 3% contraction of their economy in 2020. While they didn’t enforce lockdown measures until January of this year, they did have a whole host of voluntary measures for individuals and requirements for businesses to operate safely. That 3% contraction is better than much of Europe, but still a significant hit. https://www.reuters.com/article/sweden-economy/swedish-govt-sees-milder-downturn-in-2020-slower-growth-next-year-idUSKBN28Q1VZ
I support Sweden’s initial approach of giving businesses the tools to stay open while still reducing transmission. They did fail (and have admitted so themselves) at protecting the elderly, which jacked up their COVID-19 deaths, but had they done a better job there, I think they would have come out ahead of most both economically and in deaths per million. As it stands, they’re still just 35th in the world in deaths per million, which is pretty decent. But it’s important to recognize the reality of what’s happened in Sweden, including their economic contraction and their lockdown measures in 2021.
Sweden refused to lock down during the pandemic. How is the country faring now
“Journalist Mallory Pickett, who recently wrote “Sweden's Pandemic Experiment” in the New Yorker, says the country's coronavirus response was led by top epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, who didn't agree with the idea of a lockdown.
“He and his colleagues really felt that from a public health perspective that the lockdowns didn't make sense. If they closed down the schools, then they would lose a huge amount of their health care workforce because they would be at home taking care of their kids,” she says.
Instead, the country's strategy surrounded physical distancing, limiting large gatherings, and staying home while you're sick.”
3% contraction in the Swedish economy huh?
So tell me...by how much did the British and the American economies contract March to March? Vastly worse than a mere 3%. Every way you look at it,Sweden did VASTLY better than the US. And with no compulsory lockdowns.
COVID-19 cases up in nearly half of US states: analysis
Um, this is from Reuters in January 2021 about Sweden and NO lockdowns:
Sweden tightens COVID rules, but still no lockdown
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-sweden-legislation-idUSKBN29D1BR
What more ya got?