As the main European “outlier” in health policy during the COVID pandemic, Sweden has prided itself on keeping everything open and hoping for enough people to become income infected and overcome the COVID infection in order to achieve the acclaimed “herd immunity.” Masks are generally not worn, and authorities there have no recommendationsto do so. Nor has there been any stay-at-home order. And bars and restaurants have remained open — and full. The rate of COVID was already somewhat higher than elsewhere in Europe and the casualty rate higher, but it was only with the onset of a second wave that Swedish authorities have relented — just a bit — in their “hands-off” policy.
There is still no face mask mandate (since Swedish authorities don’t “mandate” anything), but the Prime Minister came out for the first time to criticize the head of the Public Health Authority, who has been a big supporter of “herd immunity.” Intensive care units are full and the need for them is double the current capacity. On Dec. 15, a special commission concluded in an initial report that the government had failed to protect the elderly and was unprepared for the pandemic.
Finally, at the end of November, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven ordered that there be no more than eight people in any social gatherings. But there are still no official recommendations, much less mandates, for people to wear masks. And the restaurants and bars still remain open.
