“It is slowly but surely going in the wrong direction in Sweden, even if the situation is not as serious as in other parts of Europe,” Tegnell said at a news briefing Thursday, according to the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.
Unlike many other nations, Sweden has pursued a policy for containing the virus that avoided strict government measures and allowing many schools and restaurants to remain open. The success or failure of that policy is still being debated far beyond Sweden’s borders, where most countries implemented some form of lockdown. ...
Exactly why cases are rising in Sweden is not clear. The end of summer, which had allowed easy outdoor group activities, may be a factor, though government officials have also pointed to data that appears to show more Swedes are returning to the office and using public transport, despite government warnings.
Sweden has also increased its testing capacity, but data from the Swedish Public Health Agency has found a rising percentage of positive cases, which would suggest increased spread. ...
