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Sweden shuts high schools as COVID-19 deaths soar, infection rate overtakes UK, Spain[
www.newshub.co.nz]
Sweden is bringing in harsher restrictions including ordering secondary students to study from home as COVID-19 cases surge.
The country has been known for its controversial herd immunity approach to the pandemic, hoping enough people will catch the virus that it won't transmit as easily in the future.
Swedes have been largely able to live their lives as "normal" without lockdowns, but over the past month, the country has been experiencing a second wave of cases.
In late November Prime Minister Stefan Löfven banned the serving of alcohol after 10pm and a week later announced limits on public gatherings would be cut from 50 people to eight.
Then on Monday, he shut down Sweden's high schools forcing students into distance learning for the rest of the term, the Guardian reported.
"This is being done so as to have a slowing effect on the spread of the disease," Löfven said.
"I trust that you are wise, and understand that this is not an extended Christmas break. It's not a go-ahead for parties with friends, you are still in school and should study."
Johan Carlson, head of Sweden's Public Health Agency, said they decided to stop in-person learning at high schools specifically as the country had recently seen spikes in COVID-19 cases among older teenagers, the Independent reported.
Sweden has recorded over 278,912 cases of COVID-19 so far, with thousands of new cases being reported every day, according to Worldometer.
Cases have been continuing to rise since late September, with cases passing 5000 per day last week, some days reaching over 6000, the Daily Mail reported. The figures give Sweden a higher infection rate than any major country in Western Europe.
Sweden's current rate of 346 cases per 100,000 people in a week is more than double that in Germany (155), Britain (151) or Spain (121).
The country has also recorded 7067 deaths with 1000 occuring in just the last month - which is more than nearby countries Finland, Norway and Iceland have seen during the entire pandemic.
The harsher restrictions come as support for Sweden's government and confidence in their approach to the pandemic slides.
Recent surveys also showed confidence in authorities to control the crisis had fallen from 55 percent to 42 percent in October, while 44 percent of respondents said they felt not enough was being done to fight COVID-19, which was up from 31 percent the previous month.
