Sweden has been pursuing a loose corona policy since the beginning of the pandemic. However, one measure in the country goes beyond anything that applies in Germany.
Stockholm – Sweden has been an outlier in terms of measures to fight the virus since the beginning of the corona pandemic. While in Germany a facility-related vaccination obligation has been decided and general fines for non-immunized people are being discussed, the Scandinavian country continues to rely on recommendations. The requirements for larger events, which have been in force since the beginning of December, are an exception. The following applies here: Those who are not vaccinated have to stay outside. How do the Swedes react to the unusual restriction?
To what extent Sweden’s loose corona policy has been successful is controversial. The country in northern Europe avoided lockdowns and left shops open, with neighboring countries Finland, Norway and Denmark having in some cases significantly lower infection and death rates since the beginning of the pandemic.
1G rule in Sweden: how does the toughest corona measure work?
But while the fourth corona wave is rolling across the continent, the incidence values in Sweden are the lowest in the EU. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the second Corona winter, the government adopted the toughest measure so far: Events with over 100 visitors should only be accessible to vaccinated people. But even here the government sticks to its non-binding style.
| country | Sweden |
|---|---|
| resident | 10.160.159 |
| Infection rate | 12.31% |
| Mortality rate | 1.22% |
| Vaccination rate (complete) | 71.98% |
| Status: December 18, 2021 |
If you read through the other recommendations of the Swedish health authority to contain the pandemic, the so-called 1G rule falls clearly out of the pattern. Swedes are advised to wear a mask on public transport if things get tight. Furthermore, catering businesses can move furniture to avoid contact and use ticket systems to order.
All of this is not mandatory and you can ultimately do without proof of vaccination at major events. If this is the case, other Corona measures must be taken, such as minimum distances and allocated spaces.
Corona: Sweden introduces 1G at major events – there is no outcry
Some Swedes would not know anything about the new 1G regulation, the emigrated journalist Tobias Keller told the Swiss newspaper Blick. In addition, there would be no outcry about the measure. The control of the vaccinations causes a lot of effort, but sports clubs, for example, would rather take it upon themselves than have no audience at all.
According to Keller, the residents of the country with the loose corona policy see it as a responsibility to society to follow the recommendations and get vaccinated. In Sweden, almost 71 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, similar to Germany (as of December 18, 2021).
A study recently showed that Sweden carried the coronavirus to neighboring countries. The “Sonderweg” is the subject of criticism. (vbu)
