The Swedish king condemned the country’s government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic on a day when new cases reached a record number.
“I think we have failed. We have a large number of people who have died and it is terrible. It is something we all share in suffering,” King Carl XVI Gustaf said in a Christmas interview with Swedish broadcaster SVT.
Criticism comes with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven under control for his coronavirus policy as new cases emerge.
The Swedish state broadcaster (SVT) reported a record high of Covid-19 patients in hospital this week and some ICUs are reported to be at capacity.
On Tuesday, Löfven acknowledged that his strategy to gain the herd’s immunity had failed. “It’s proof that it’s a virus that we didn’t know about before and that behaves in a way that many would not have believed,” he said.
No blockchain for Sweden: The country never came to a standstill during the first wave and it was not until the second that voluntary precautionary measures were recommended at regional level.
November restrictions: As the number of cases rose in November, the prime minister imposed a national ban on public gatherings of more than eight people. More recently, he has ordered the closure of theaters and entertainment venues and advised 13- to 15-year-old students to switch to online learning.
Christmas Gatherings: But in private settings, people are advised to “interact with each other in smaller circles,” according to government guidelines. During the Christmas festivities, people are urged not to meet people outside their circle immediately. It was not recommended to wear a mask.
Large deaths in nursing homes: An independent report by a special commission this week attributed the high number of deaths in nursing homes to “the general spread of the virus in society.” He claims that measures for nursing homes have been delayed, despite early reports that the elderly were particularly vulnerable.
Some conclusions have already been drawn about where we could have been better, “said Löfven.
On Thursday, there were 8,815 new cases of Covid-18 – the highest number recorded in a 24-hour period since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Swedish Health Agency, marking an increase of over 2,000 cases compared to last week. Sweden had 7,893 deaths from the virus, more per capita than other Scandinavian countries.