“Given our understanding of the pandemic, I would say it is over… It is not over yet, but we have seen rapid changes. Covid-19 is no longer considered a threat to society,” Swedish Health Minister Lena Hallengren said in an interview on February 9.
Sweden has ended almost all Covid-19 restrictions, allowing restaurants and bars to open after 11 p.m. daily with no capacity limits, indoor events, and even vaccination certificates are no longer required. Sweden has also lifted travel restrictions for EU member states.
The last PCR test kit for Covid-19 was collected before Sweden stopped all Covid-19 testing. Photo: Johan Nilsson
However, hospitals in Sweden are still under pressure, with around 2,200 people with Covid-19 requiring hospital care. As free testing was reduced earlier this month and stopped completely on February 9, it is currently impossible to determine the exact number of cases in Sweden.
Sweden has been a country that has resisted lockdowns and advocated volunteerism throughout the pandemic. Photo: Bloomberg
European countries are gradually taking similar steps and no longer considering Covid-19 as a threat to society. Before Sweden, Denmark announced that Covid-19 was no longer a serious epidemic in the country and lifted all Covid-19 prevention restrictions from the beginning of February, including mandatory mask wearing in enclosed spaces and public transport. The UK also made a similar decision from the end of January and gradually returned to normal life.
Norway and France have also lifted most restrictions to move towards living safely with Covid-19. Meanwhile, the Netherlands also aims to lift Covid-19 restrictions this February because the majority of infections are not too severe.
