Sweden raises Covid measures as Scandinavia sounds quite clear
Sweden is ready to lift almost all its coronavirus restrictions next week, and together with its Nordic neighbors Denmark and Norway, it sounds quite clear.
The move will make Scandinavia one of the most open regions in Europe, while neighbors in the south such as Germany and Austria will continue to slow down public life.
“It is time to open up Sweden again,” said Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson at a press conference on Thursday.
The use of vaccination certificates, a cap for 50 people at many indoor gatherings and early closing times for bars and restaurants are among the measures to be abolished from 9 February.
Like many countries, Sweden saw infection rates reach record highs after the Omicron variant appeared, but did not see deaths rise to the levels seen in previous waves.
– The pandemic is not over, but it is on its way into a whole new phase, Andersson says.
Ministers will still recommend people to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and isolate themselves when they are unwell, given the voluntary measures that Sweden chose during the first months of the pandemic.
Sweden aroused both admiration and skepticism in the spring of 2020 after choosing minimal restrictions and avoiding the strict locks that have been introduced in most of Europe.
The experiment had mixed results, with Sweden’s mortality comparable to large parts of Western Europe but poor with the relatively low figures in Denmark, Norway and Finland.
Sweden’s economic results during the pandemic have similarly placed it in the middle of the pack among rich countries.
Tougher restrictions were introduced later, including the 50-person limit and other measures to limit the spread of the Omicron variant.
Nordic relaxation
Denmark, which initially went for tougher measures, became the first EU country to lift all restrictions in September last year and repeated the move this week after taking back some curbs due to Omicron.
People who test positive in Denmark no longer need to isolate themselves, while masks and vaccination checks are only recommended. There are still some restrictions at the Danish border.
“We say goodbye to the restrictions and welcome to life as we felt it before the corona,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen last week.
Denmark is one of the EU’s most vaccinated countries, with 82 percent of the population completely inoculated.
But Mrs Frederiksen said she could not guarantee that there was a “final goodbye to restrictions” due to the risk of dangerous future variants.
Norway similarly scrapped most of the measures this week, lifting a ceiling for 10 people at private gatherings and letting fans sit elbow to elbow again at sporting events.
But people will still be asked to wear a face mask in cramped environments if they can not keep one meter from others.
The government said that even though the infection rates were high, vaccinations protected Norway from a large number of hospital admissions.
“Now it’s time for us to take back our everyday life,” said Norway’s Minister of Health Ingvild Kjerkol on Tuesday.
At the same time, Finland is slowing down to lift the restrictions, with early closing times for companies remaining until 14 February.
The government said that capacity restrictions at outdoor facilities should also fall on that date, but that certain restrictions for indoor food may be in force until March.
Updated: February 3, 2022, 09:17