Sweden sees rise in coronavirus-related deaths

A new spike in COVID-19 cases in the Swedish capital of Stockholm could signal that residents have started to relax about social distancing recommendations, the country's health authorities said on Friday.

A total of 1,152 people have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in Sweden. That is an increase of 131 reported deaths in just one day. As of Friday afternoon, the total number of confirmed cases stood at 17,567, an increase of 812 compared to Thursday.

"This could be a sign that we are starting to relax," epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told Swedish Television on Friday.

Tegnell added that extended testing among medical staff and at elderly care homes could also help explain the rise in confirmed cases. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of admissions to hospitals, where testing is also available to patients with symptoms of COVID-19.

At its daily press briefing on Friday, the Public Health Agency also presented figures over Sweden's excess mortality, which showed that there were nearly 1,000 more deaths in the last week of March and in the first week of April this year compared to the same period previous years.

Since there are also roughly 1,000 registered COVID-19 deaths, this shows that Sweden has a sound overview of the number of people who died of the disease, Tegnell said. He also insisted that the situation is still serious in Sweden.

"It's definitely not over, which is clear considering we're now seeing a slight rise in cases in Stockholm again," Tegnell said.

Stockholm, the region in Sweden that has been hardest hit by the pandemic, has experienced a string of warm Spring days when many have flocked to bars, cafes, and restaurants.

This prompted Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg to vow to bring in stricter and more frequent inspections of establishments in an effort to make sure they see to it that customers follow social distancing recommendations, for instance by offering table service only and spacing out tables in both indoor and outdoor seating areas.

"Everyone has individual responsibility here. How we act today determines how the healthcare system will cope two weeks from now, Damberg said. "We made it through Easter. Ahead of this weekend, it's payday for most Swedes and there are a few long weekends ahead. Many have handled the situation well and have canceled trips, but we're not seeing a clear decline (of the pandemic) yet."

Damberg's comments were the latest in a series of warnings from public health experts and politicians over the past week, with Stockholm County Council Finance Commissioner, Irene Svenonius, warning on Thursday that carelessness could cause a dramatic spike in the infection curve.

Stockholm County Medical Officer Per Follin warned that the pandemic is far from over. "Keep a distance and limit the spread of the virus, and we hope this will soon pass," he said.

Likewise, Stockholm Mayor Anna Konig Jerlmyr warned this week that random restaurant and bar inspections will be carried out all hours of the day and establishments that do do not follow recommendations will be forced to close.

"Unlike in other European cities, we've chosen to trust establishments to be able to stay open," said Konig Jerlmyr. She added that she is getting reports that Stockholmers have started to relax "but the restrictions are not just general tips, they should be followed by everyone at all times".