Many European countries have successively declared that the pandemic is over.

Swedish Health Minister Lena Hallengren stated in an interview on February 9th: “With our understanding of the pandemic, I would say it’s over… While it’s not completely over, we’ve seen rapid changes. Covid-19 is no longer considered a threat to society.”

Sweden has lifted almost all restrictions aimed at combating the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing restaurants and bars to open after 11 pm daily without limits on the number of customers, and similar restrictions on indoor events. Vaccination certificates are no longer required. Sweden has also removed travel restrictions for other European Union member states.

However, hospitals in Sweden are still under pressure with around 2,200 people with Covid-19 requiring hospital care. Because free testing has been reduced since the beginning of this month and stopped completely on February 9th, it is currently impossible to determine the exact number of cases in Sweden.

European countries are gradually taking similar steps and no longer consider Covid-19 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 restrictions from the beginning of February, including the mandatory wearing of masks in enclosed spaces and on public transport. The UK also made a similar decision at the end of January and is gradually returning to normal life.

Norway and France have also lifted most restrictions in an effort to safely coexist with Covid-19. Meanwhile, the Netherlands aims to lift Covid-19 restrictions this February as the majority of infections are not severe.

Khanh Ha