Sweden Mulls U-Turn On Coronavirus Restrictions

[appalachiablue]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by JudyM (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: DW

Sweden is one of the few European countries that has not yet put the country under some kind of lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19. The government had demanded emergency powers to change this.

The Swedish government is seeking more powers to implement a lockdown or stronger restrictions on public life, Swedish media reported on Saturday. The move comes as more and more countries around the world implement lockdowns on public life to attempt to halt the spread of COVID-19.

The Scandinavian country's government has backed down on a proposal that would have given it power to take emergency measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic without the approval of parliament. The government must now wait for other parties' approval.

Opposition parties have demanded that they be allowed to examine and scrutinize any decisions the government makes under the emergency legislation. The government hopes the proposal will be approved in the coming days.


Read more: https://www.dw.com/en/sweden-mulls-u-turn-on-coronavirus-restrictions/a-53020024

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Until now, Sweden has shied away from implementing a major lockdown on the same scale as other European countries. Earlier in the week, the government added some restrictions to public life through a series of guidelines.

[SunSeeker]

1. Their hospitals will be overwhelmed if they don't do a lockdown.

It may already be too late to avoid surpassing their hospital capacity. Sweden usually doesn't do stupid stuff. Thieir lackadaisical response to Covid-19 is really shocking.

[StarryNite]

2. Yes, it is shocking and sad.

I never would have guessed Sweden would be a country to drop the ball the way they did on this.

[deurbano]

3. It's inexplicable. Maybe they thought they could avoid the fate of Italy (for ex.) because more

than half in Sweden live alone. (I read they naturally practice "social distancing"!) Also, that means they don't have the multigenerational living situation in Italy. Seems like that would certainly help, but not enough.

[SunSeeker]

4. Which makes it all the weirder that they resist social distancing.

I've been to Sweden and you're right, they definitely keep to themselves.

[beachbumbob]

5. perhaps they have waited way too long? Is it nordic stubborness?

[w0nderer]

6. knr to keep eye on n/t

[Steelrolled]

7. Sweden will be the great experimental "control"

to help see in the end, how effective "lock downs" really were.

Looking at the charts, they are still in the middle of the pack, as far as how the death rate is accelerating, and still above the US. Spain and Belgium are still the countries accelerating the most.

[JudyM]

8. Locking

Analysis/status report about internal Swedish governmental wrangling, rather than important breaking news, by consensus of the forum hosts. Please repost in GD if you’d like!