Sweden’s chief epidemiologist Tegnell is raising the corona alarm

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  “The situation is deteriorating in Sweden too,” says state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell.

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  Now we are deviating from the line that hardly any measures to contain the coronavirus are imposed.

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  Anders Tegnell went a different way than his European colleagues.

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  Tegnell says: “It’s a difficult autumn – and it will be even more difficult before this is over.”

• DUKAS

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  There is still no mask requirement in Sweden.

2128 new corona infections within 24 hours in Sweden. This is reported by the Folkhälsomyndigheten health authority. According to the Swedish media, this is the highest level since the pandemic began. Now the country, which took a special corona route, is sounding the alarm.

“The situation is also deteriorating in Sweden,” said the state epidemiologist Anders Tegnel (64) at a press conference on the Corona situation on Tuesday. For many, he is the face of the lockdown-free special route that Sweden is taking during the pandemic. Only a few weeks ago, however, Tegnell agreed to impose local lockdown measures to stop the spread of the virus.

According to dpa, the number of new corona cases in the past week shot up by 70 percent compared to the previous week. In Sweden it is now particularly noticeable that, in contrast to the first wave, more young people between the ages of 20 and 29 are infected with the coronavirus. The student city of Uppsala is developing into a corona hotspot.

According to epidemiologist Tegnell, the increasing numbers can partly be traced back to expanded contact tracing and more tests. But he makes it clear that the virus is clearly spreading increasingly. Tegnell says: “It’s a difficult autumn – and it will be even more difficult before this is over.”

Uppsala, the fourth largest city in Sweden, is now going into a local lockdown. According to the news portal “The Local”, city dwellers are encouraged to voluntarily avoid public transport as far as possible. Contact with people outside the household should also be avoided until November 3rd. However, there is still no mask requirement.

The Skåne region, including the city of Malmö, which borders Denmark, should now adhere to the recommendations. At the same time, restrictions on the elderly were lifted across Sweden. Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren (46) said: “There is no longer any reason why stricter measures should apply to older people than to the rest of the population.” (euc)