Posted on 11/14/2020 5:51:00 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Sweden remains steadfast in its strategy of voluntary measures and no lockdowns, the architect of its unorthodox COVID-19 response said on Friday, as the country battles a growing second wave of disease that has now killed more than 6,000 Swedes.
The Nordic nation of 10 million people, whose soft-touch approach to combating the virus has drawn worldwide attention - and harsh domestic criticism from some - has seen a surge in number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths in recent weeks.
At 5,990, the number of new cases reported on Friday was the highest since the start of the pandemic. A further 42 deaths were also recorded, the most for around three months.
The strategy, however, will not change.
"No, we will keep on this path," Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told Reuters in a telephone interview on Friday. "This is how we work in Sweden. We have big understanding for this and a huge adherence to the rules."
In contrast to many other countries, Sweden has kept schools, restaurants and other businesses open throughout the pandemic. Instead, it has focused on voluntary measures aimed at promoting social distancing and good hygiene, such as working from home if possible, avoiding public transport and crowded indoor activities.
The approach has drawn both criticism and praise. Tegnell's frequent press conferences have attracted big television audiences. Several people have had his face tattooed on their bodies and t-shirts saying "In Tegnell we trust" can be spotted on the streets of Stockholm.
Not everyone agrees, however, and Tegnell has even received death threats from people accusing him of pursuing a reckless policy.
While Sweden's death rate per capita is lower than in countries such as Spain and Britain, it is more than 10 times higher than neighbouring Norway and almost five times higher than in Denmark.
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...
Good for Sweden to not make the same BS mistakes other countries are making, including ours
Maybe Sweden’s increase in cases is due to their lax immigration laws and people fleeing more repressive regimes.
That's more important than saving the lives of thousands of elderly people.
RE: That’s more important than saving the lives of thousands of elderly people.
Why should not locking down and saving the lives of the elderly be MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE?
If our own media would have focused mainly on education and preventive measures instead of just running stories focused on trying to damage Republicans (and Trump in particular) politically, lives would have been saved here.
As though people want to do things to protect themselves but can’t because the President hasn’t ordered them to do so.
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