Sweden does not close during the pandemic, new cases fall instead of rising

Editor : Xiao Jing

Publisher : The Epoch Times, via NTDTV

Ref : https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2020/08/04/a102910509.html

Extract translation : Gan Yung Chyan

                                / KUCINTA SETIA

Image : On 8 May  2020, diners at a restaurant in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty Images)

In contrast to many European countries that have adopted extensive lockdown measures when the pandemic is still surging, Sweden, which has never implemented comprehensive lockdown measures, has seen the number of new cases and deaths declining every day.

Since the peaks in April and June, respectively, the daily rate of covid deaths and SARS-CoV-2 infections in Sweden has fallen. According to the latest statistics from Worldometers, the seven-day moving average peak of new cases in a single day in Sweden dropped from 1,134 on 24 June to 228 on 2 August while the seven-day average peak of deaths per day fell from 99 on 16 April to 2 cases on 28 July.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the Swedish authorities have refused to follow the trend. They have not adopted rigid closed-door measures like most parts of Europe, but have kept most schools and companies open.

Last week, the Swedish government also announced that it would no longer advise citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

In neighbouring countries Denmark and Norway, their governments have adopted stricter measures to ban outdoor activities and daily new cases are still rebounding. On 9 July, Denmark reached a new low in a single day with a 7-day moving average of 14 cases while on 2 August, the value reached 50 cases.

On 22 July, Norway’s single-day increase in cases hit a new low, with a 7-day moving average of 7 cases while on 2 August, the value climbed to 21 cases.

Since 21 May, the number of new deaths in a single day in Norway fluctuated between 0 and 1. Since 14 June, the number of new deaths in a single day in Denmark has also been within this range.

In Europe, Spain and the United Kingdom experienced the largest single-day increase in infections. According to the 7-day moving average, Spain slowed down from the highest single-day increase of 7,800 cases on April 1 to the peak of 279 cases on June 10. On July 31, Spain's highest single-day increase rebounded to 2,300 cases, but it gradually decreased to 1,694 cases on August 2. However, the daily death toll in Spain is flat. Since July 14, the average death toll on the 7th has fluctuated between 1 and 2.

As of 14 April, the average number of infections per day in the UK for 7 days was 4,999, and it slowed to 545 by July 8. Since then, the number of similar cases has risen again to 753 per day. The number of new deaths in a single day in the UK dropped steadily from a peak of 943 on 24 April to 65 on 27 July.

Sweden’s death toll is 5,743, or 568 deaths per million population, which exceeds the death toll of its Nordic neighbours Denmark and Norway, but is still lower than some locked down European countries such as the United Kingdom and Spain.

At the same time, the data expected to be released on 5 August will further confirm how Sweden’s decision not to impose a complete blockade on the country has mitigated the impact of the pandemic on its economy.

The Swedish authorities will release estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect this figure to be negative 7%. If the seasonally adjusted annual GDP data are estimated, this quarter will be Sweden’s worst season since records began in 1960. In contrast, the Swedish economy experienced its worst contraction in the second quarter of 1980, when GDP fell by 4.8%. Nonetheless, the 7% drop is still far below the 19-member euro zone, which fell 12.1% in the second quarter.

British analyst firm Capital Economics stated in a recent report, “Although Sweden is not immune to covid, we expect Sweden to be the best in the horrible Eurozone this year.”

In addition, the report pointed out that Sweden kept its primary schools open during the epidemic so that parents can continue to work without having to spare time with their children. This is one of the reasons why the Swedish economy has better escaped the adverse effects of the pandemic than other Eurozone countries.