Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, has registered 2,820 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, the highest daily figure since the pandemic began.
Key points:
- Sweden's death rate per capita is several times higher than its Nordic neighbours
- It has reported record numbers of new cases three times in a matter of days
- Tighter recommendations are now being introduced in some regions
The October 28 figure eclipsed a record set only the previous day, when more than 2,400 cases were announced, Health Agency statistics show.
It was the third record number in a matter of days and came as the country's chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell warned against the strategy of attaining herd immunity.
"Striving for herd immunity is neither ethical nor otherwise justifiable," Dr Tegnell told German paper Die Zeit.
In March, Dr Tegnell appeared to ask whether a higher death rate among older people might be acceptable if it led to faster herd immunity.
Sweden's Health Agency has said the peak during the spring probably ran much higher but went unrecorded due to a lack of testing.
"We're beginning to approach the ceiling for what the healthcare system can handle," Dr Tegnell told a news conference.
"Together, as during the spring, we can push down this curve and avoid the strain on healthcare."
The Health Agency also moved to tighten pandemic recommendations for regions including Sweden's biggest cities Stockholm and Gothenburg, saying infection rates were rising sharply in these areas.
Sweden has relied primarily on voluntary measures, largely unenforced but still widely adhered to.
The new tighter local recommendations, already introduced in two regions with surging infections, included advice to avoid indoor environments such as shops and gyms.
Stockholm authorities said separately that the number of COVID-19 patients in need of care in the region had risen about 60 per cent over the past week after a near 80 per cent surge in recorded infections.
Sweden registered seven new deaths, taking the total to 5,934.
Sweden's death rate per capita is several times higher than its Nordic neighbours, but lower than some larger European countries, such as Spain and Britain.
Reuters/ABC
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTEwLTMwL3N3ZWRlbi1oaXRzLWhpZ2hlc3QtZGFpbHktY29yb25hdmlydXMtY2FzZS1udW1iZXIvMTI4Mjk5OTDSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI4Mjk5OTA?oc=5
2020-10-29 23:13:00Z
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