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Sweden Says COVID-19 Restrictions Will Remain for 'At Least a Year'

© AP Photo / David KeytonFormer Scandinavian Airlines flight attendants learn basic skills on to assist in nursing homes and hospitals due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Stockholm, Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Former Scandinavian Airlines flight attendants learn basic skills on to assist in nursing homes and hospitals due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Stockholm, Wednesday, April 1, 2020 - Sputnik International
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According to state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, at least 20 percent of Swedes have had COVID-19.

Measures against the coronavirus will remain in place for a long time, Johan Carlson, the Director General of the Swedish Public Health Agency has warned.

"We can expect that measures against the spread of corona will remain for a long time, we are talking about at least a year ahead", Carlson told national broadcaster SVT.

In recent months, the Swedish authorities' standing mantra has been "keep your distance, work from home, and maintain hand hygiene". Recently, family quarantine was introduced for adults and high school students living with someone who is infected. At the same time, some easing of the restrictions has been presented that includes lifting the ban on visiting nursing homes and allowing events of over 500 people. A formal decision will be made on 15 October.

"It's about striking a balance. The important thing is that people understand that they should keep their distance and not move outside with mild symptoms, to reduce congestion and to work from home. We will continue with what has been successful", Carlson explained to SVT, admitting the possibility of introducing local restriction in a bid to contain an outbreak.

In several European countries, including Germany, France, and the UK, renewed restrictions amid a spread of infections that many see as a second wave of the pandemic have triggered outrage, irritation, and protests. In Sweden, more people are now using public transport compared to the spring, and more companies are allowing their personnel to return to the workplace. However, the Scandinavian country, whose no-lockdown approach continues to polarise the public, is not seeing the same level of discontent.

"A certain fatigue sets in, this has been going on for a number of months. But we do not see anger or aggression, we do not see the same reactions as in Europe", Carlson said. "The measures taken in Europe are not sustainable, we are trying to find a situation that is stable and that keeps the spread down. We cannot get rid of it but we can keep it down at a reasonable level", he added.

Sweden has seen close to 95,000 COVID cases and nearly 5,900 deaths, most of them senior citizens. It has steered clear of major shutdowns amid conflicting messaging about the desirability of herd immunity. State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has since estimated that at least 20 percent of Swedes have had COVID-19, whereas Johan Carlson estimated the figure 40 percent of Stockholm residents.

Despite having some of the highest COVID-19 death rates per capita rate in Europe, Sweden has seen the number of new infections decline steadily since the peak in late June. As of today, it has merely a dozen patients in intensive care. This is a stark contrast to fellow European nations that went into full weeks-long lockdowns, such as Britain, France, and Spain, which are witnessing a new spike in cases and are considering new restrictions, triggering their countrymen's ire.

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