Swedish prime minister goes into self-isolation as country’s cases surge

Stefan Lofven revealed he was quarantining in midst of Sweden’s second wave

Stefan Lofven has been prime minister of Sweden since 2014 (AFP via Getty Images)

The prime minister of Sweden is self-isolating after a person close to him came into contact with someone with coronavirus.  

Stefan Lofven announced the news on Facebook as the country experienced a surge in Covid cases and passed the milestone of 6,000 deaths due to the virus.  

“On the doctor's advice, my wife Ulla and I will stay isolated for the time being,” Mr Lofven wrote. “We are fine and have no symptoms.  

“In accordance with recommendations from health officials, we will take a coronavirus test as soon as possible. This is the only responsible thing to do in this situation.”

The Swedish premier’s announcement came as the government has ramped up its coronavirus restrictions in response to rising numbers of cases and deaths from Covid-19.  

Although Sweden, unusually among its Scandinavian neighbours, opted not to impose a full lockdown during the first wave of the coronavirus, authorities have begun clamping down more in recent weeks, including caps on how many people can be seated together at restaurants and the introduction of local rules encouraging Swedes to work from home and avoid public transport.

Covid cases have been increasing rapidly in Sweden since late September, and the latest figures (which date back to last month) show that the country reported 9,165 new infections, an increase of 63 per cent from the previous week and the largest ever number of cases seen in a single week.

“The Swedish population must understand that what happens in Europe can, of course, also happen here. We see an increase [in new cases] that we must deal with,” the health minister, Lena Hallgren, said.  

“Now what is important is to understand what the purpose is ... which is to stop a pandemic.”

The Public Health Agency has warned that cases are rising in every region but one, and with it a corresponding surge in sufferers needing intensive care.  

As of Thursday, 90 patients with Covid-19 were in intensive care across Sweden – an increase of 19 on the previous day – and a further 661 in a less critical condition were also being treated in hospital.

Karin Tegmark Wisell, the head of microbiology at the agency, said almost 10 per cent of Covid tests were now coming back positive, double the rate from the previous week.  

In total, Sweden has now recorded more than 142,000 cases of the virus and 6,002 deaths. Although the total of 593 deaths per million people is lower than the UK’s grim toll, it is many times higher than its Nordic counterparts, such as Norway, which has only seen 52 deaths per million people.  

Mr Lofven, who has run a Social Democrat-led government in Sweden since 2014, has largely handed over running the country’s pandemic response to the Public Health Agency, whose epidemiologists have mostly relied on voluntary guidance on social distancing and avoiding non-essential travel, rather than legal lockdowns.