Sweden Reverses Face Mask Policy, Recommends Use In Public

Sweden on Friday did a U-turn on face masks,
recommending they be worn on public transport at peak times, having
previously resisted their use in the fight against Covid-19 except
in healthcare.

Throughout the pandemic the country has stood apart from other
nations by shunning lockdowns, and being one of the few holdouts in
recommending widespread mask use, even after the World Health
Organization (WHO) changed their advice in June.

Announcing several new measures, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven
told a news conference the Public Health Agency was now
“recommending face masks and that they should be used on public
transport at certain times”.

READ ALSO: US Vice President Pence Receives
COVID-19 Vaccine

The country’s health officials have repeatedly been questioned
on this reluctance but Johan Carlson, director of the Public Health
Agency, stressed Friday they maintained that face masks should not
be considered a substitute for keeping physical distance, and the
recommendation was limited to situations were that was
impossible.

“We don’t think it will have a deciding effect, but in this
specific situation it can have a positive effect,” Carlson said,
adding that wearing them in the street did not seem to be
significant.

In addition to the face mask recommendation, Lofven said that as
of December 24, the maximum number of people allowed to share a
restaurant table would be limited to four and restaurants and bars
would not be allowed to sell alcohol after 8:00 pm.

“The situation unfortunately continues to be very serious. The
spread of infection is high and the situation in healthcare is very
strained,” Lofven said, urging people to take precautions and limit
their Christmas celebrations.

The government said that caps on the number of visitors to
stores and gyms would be introduced, and warned they could be
closed if it was not effective.

Hospitalisations exceed April peak

Swedish officials said earlier this week that the number of
covid hospitalisations had topped a peak registered in April, with
more than 2,500 admissions.

The number of deaths in the country of 10.3 million reached
7,993 on Friday, with more than 500 people in the past week and
nearly 2,000 since the beginning of November.

Cited initially worldwide for its softer approach to fighting
the pandemic, Sweden has tightened preventative measures
in recent months.

As cases multiplied, authorities urged people to limit social
interactions to immediate family or a few friends.

A ban on public gatherings of more than eight people took effect
last month.

Contrary to media reports, the country never targeted so-called
herd immunity as part of its official strategy.

But health officials did argue that widespread infections
earlier this year should weaken a second wave, until numbers
started climbing in mid-October.

Rather than clamping down now, Lofven said the government was
pursuing a long-term strategy because “people would not put up”
with a strict lockdown.

The government is preparing a one-year “pandemic law” that could
limit the number of people in public places and regulate businesses
and services by restricting opening hours or forcing them to
close.

AFP

Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/12/19/sweden-reverses-face-mask-policy-recommends-use-in-public/

^[1]

A post shared by
THENIGERIALAWYERS (@thenigerialawyer)^[2]

Read more otu-oka-iwu-igbo-lawyers-in-abuja-elect-ejiofor-onwuaso-as-new-president/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=otu-oka-iwu-igbo-lawyers-in-abuja-elect-ejiofor-onwuaso-as-new-president

Written by

admin

Join to follow writers