Stefan Lofven
Photographer: Henrik Montgomery / AFP / Getty Images
Photographer: Henrik Montgomery / AFP / Getty Images
The Prime Minister of Sweden, Stefan Lofven, said there was a ‘great risk’ for a new increase in coronavirus infections, which might justify the country’s first closure since the pandemic almost a year ago.
“We are seeing an increase in business again, we need to take new measures,” Lofven said during a press conference in Stockholm on Wednesday. ‘If the situation worsens, the government is prepared to apply a possible closure in parts of Sweden. Hopefully it will not be necessary. ”
Sweden had to admit that its earlier response to the pandemic had led to a much higher death rate than that seen among its Nordic neighbors, which prompted the government to turn to it. Last month, Sweden enacted a law making it possible to impose lock-ins, and the authorities gradually tightened this year.
Read: Skepticism over face mask fades in Sweden as infection rates rise
Meanwhile, Sweden’s infection rate has continued to rise. In Stockholm, the number of new cases of coronavirus increased by 27% last week.
Lofven said the development calls for a number of stricter measures, including …
- Restrictions on the number of people allowed in shops and gyms
- Restaurants across the country may not stay open until 20:30 from 1 March
- Schools may have to be closed if the infection rate continues to rise
– Assisted by Ott Ummelas