Sweden Scraps Free Covid Testing As It Lifts Pandemic Restrictions
Topline
Sweden lifted nearly all of its pandemic restrictions Wednesday and ended mass testing for the virus, becoming a member of a rising checklist of nations stress-free curbs and studying to reside with the virus regardless of excessive numbers of infections.
Sweden has ended its mass testing program.
TT Information Company/AFP through Getty Pictures
Key Details
As of Wednesday, Sweden will solely present free Covid-19 PCR exams to well being care employees, aged care employees and clinically susceptible folks exhibiting signs of the illness.
Folks outside these teams, even when symptomatic, won’t be able to get a free take a look at however might be requested to remain at house.
Karin Tegmark Wisell, who leads the nation’s public well being company, advised broadcaster SVT the nation had “reached a degree the place the fee and relevance of the testing is now not justifiable,” according to AP Information.
Tegmark Wisell mentioned sustaining the mass-testing program would value the nation round $220 million a month.
Sweden additionally lifted nearly all of its pandemic restrictions on Wednesday, together with limits on how many individuals can collect at occasions, vaccine certificates for sure indoor occasions and lowered working hours for bars, although the federal government nonetheless recommends unvaccinated Swedes to keep away from crowded locations.
Essential Quote
In a press convention saying the lifting of restrictions in early February, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said it’s “time to open up Sweden.” Andersson added: “The pandemic isn’t over, however it’s shifting into a brand new section.”
Key Background
The U.Okay. and Scandinavia—Sweden, Denmark and Norway—are actually nearly completely freed from Covid restrictions because the international locations put together to maneuver past the pandemic. Although infections stay excessive, hospitalizations are comparatively low, one thing officers say justify treating Covid-19 as we do different on a regular basis diseases just like the seasonal flu. Specialists warn the method is untimely and paints an excessively optimistic image of what “residing with Covid” truly entails, in addition to essentially misunderstanding what it means for a illness to be endemic.
What To Watch For
Knowledge gaps. Mass Covid testing has been an important software for monitoring the pandemic, figuring out new variants and serving to folks know when to isolate. Whereas speedy antigen exams are available to buy in Sweden, they can’t present the fine-grained data helpful to specialists monitoring the virus and outcomes won’t be reported to well being authorities. The excessive value of testing may result in many international locations taking an identical path and Denmark is about to shut free testing in early March.
Additional Studying
Sweden ends COVID-19 testing as pandemic restrictions lifted (AP Information)
Pandemic Endgame: What ‘Endemic’ Covid Means—And When We Might Get There (Forbes)
Full protection and reside updates on the Coronavirus
