Swedish coronavirus cases surpass 10,000 amid looser approach
Sweden, which has adopted less stringent coronavirus restrictions than other European countries, has surpassed 10,000 cases of the potentially deadly virus, according to official data published on Saturday.
An overall 887 people have died with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the Swedish healthcare authorities.
Sweden’s figures are the highest in Scandinavia, but the country’s population of around 10.3 million also far outweighs its neighbours.
In contrast to neighbouring countries, the Swedish government has kept restaurants, cafes, schools and kindergartens open. Public gatherings of up to 50 people remain permitted.
By comparison, Denmark registered around 6,000 infections and 260 deaths by Saturday, in a population of around 5.8 million people.
Almost 200 more people have become infected on the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which belong to the kingdom.
In Norway, which has a population of 5.4 million, the virus has been detected in around 6,300 people, of whom 114 have died.
Finland, which is similar in size, has recorded around 2,600 infections and 42 deaths.
In Iceland, almost 1,700 people are known to have caught the coronavirus, and seven Covid-19 deaths have been reported. (dpa/NAN)
