Why Sweden Tightened Its Light-Touch Covid Rules

Sweden’s hands-off response to Covid-19, shunning lockdowns while neighboring countries imposed restrictions, sparked controversy from the outset. Even as death rates surged in early 2020, Sweden kept stores, restaurants and most schools open. It did ban public gatherings of more than 50 people and a few restaurants were ordered to close temporarily, but most measures carried little legal weight. While many people complied initially, they were less willing when the second wave hit in November, forcing stricter measures.

Lockdown skeptics saw the strategy as a way to avoid negative side effects of restrictions to curb transmission and as a model for containing the virus without infringing personal liberty. Critics labeled it a deadly folly or an outright disaster. Supporters of the government point to countries such as the U.K., Italy and Spain that did lock down but have higher death rates than Sweden, while critics argue that the best comparison is with nearby countries such as Finland and Norway, which have similar population densities and health care coverage but whose death rates and infection levels have been well below those of Sweden.