Sweden sets new daily COVID record, but severe cases contained

Record ID: 1653741

  • Title: Sweden sets new daily COVID record, but severe cases contained
  • Date: 5th January 2022
  • Summary: MEAUX, FRANCE (JANUARY 5, 2022) (REUTERS) 11-YEAR-OLD BOY, NATHANAEL, GETTING VACCINATED NURSE TALKING WITH NATHANAEL'S MOTHER (SOUNDBITE) (French) 11-YEAR-OLD BOY, NATHANAEL, SAYING: "To protect my family, myself and to travel and have fun too." 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL, PAOLA, GETTING READY TO GET VACCINATED VARIOUS OF PAOLA GETTING VACCINATED (SOUNDBITE) (French) 11-YEAR-OLD GI
  • Embargoed: 19th January 2022 15:39
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Omicron Sweden cases coronavirus pandemic rate record spread vaccinations
  • Location: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
  • City: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
  • Country: Sweden
  • Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA003FSYKNYF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Daily coronavirus cases in Sweden soared to a record high, with the easily transmissible Omicron variant dominating, though numbers in intensive care remain well below previous pandemic peaks, the country's health agency said on Wednesday (January 5).
    Case numbers have surged since November and in December the government tightened restrictions on public gatherings and urged citizens to work from home to help contain the spread.
    On Wednesday, it authorised the agency to mandate expanded use of vaccine passes, currently compulsory at some large public events, to cover restaurants and shopping centres.
    Infections reached 17,320 on Tuesday (January 4), said Britta Bjorkholm, head of the health agency's department for disease control.
    That was sharply up on the previous daily record of 11,507 registered on Dec. 30,
    Intensive care cases - primarily unvaccinated patients - and deaths are well below previous peaks, she said.
    Neighbouring Denmark, which has been among the worst hit by the spread of Omicron, also reported a record number of new cases over the last 24 hours.
    The surge in infections in Sweden is in line with the agency's worst-case scenario, published before Christmas, and Bjorkholm said new cases were expected to peak sometime in mid-January.
    While Sweden has tightened curbs, they remain mild relative to many other European countries.
    (Production: Ilze Filks)
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register