Coronavirus in Sweden: It has no Lockdown yet, can it last?

[Firebat]

Public faith in Swedish authorities drops significantly

Public faith in Swedish authorities has dropped significantly, as the coronavirus crisis continues, according to a new survey by major pollsters Novus.

The proportion of respondents who had very or fairly high confidence in the government’s ability to deal with Covid 19 has slumped to 45% compared with 63% in the company’s last major survey in April.

Confidence in the Swedish Public Health Authority, led by state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has dropped to 65%, down from 73%. However faith in the country’s health care services remain high, with 80% of people surveyed reporting very or fairly high confidence, compared to 84% in April.

Sweden’s unusual response to the virus, which has involved keeping large parts of society open and relying largely on social distancing measures, has sparked debate around the world.

In more recent weeks the government has faced criticism over the high death toll in care homes and failing to test 100,000 people a week as it had promised.

 

[Firebat]

Sweden sees increase in coronavirus infections, fall in deaths

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Coronavirus infections are increasing in Sweden, while the number of deaths and people treated at intensive care continue to fall, the Health Agency said on Thursday.

Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said the increase in cases could not solely be explained by increased testing. Sweden has registered 41,883 cases in total.

“Unfortunately, in Sweden, we can see an increase in cases again,” he told a news conference, urging people not to ease up on social distancing.

Sweden has not imposed a lockdown, instead relying primarily on voluntary measures focused on social distancing and hygiene. It has kept most schools, restaurants and businesses open.

Tegnell said the increases in new cases was seen primarily in Western Sweden and among younger people than before.

“Cases among the really old have declined quite rapidly. It shows the measures taken have had an effect,” he said. “There’s reason to believe the decline in deaths will continue.”

Sweden registered 20 new deaths on Thursday, taking the total to 4,562, much higher than in neighbouring Nordic countries but also much lower than the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Spain.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...virus-infections-fall-in-deaths-idUSKBN23B20T

 

[MenInG]

Sweden has reported its lowest daily number of new cases of coronavirus since March, after just 202 more people were recorded as testing positive for the virus.

According to the public health agency, 45,924 people in the country have so far tested positive for the virus which causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease. The death toll reached 4,717, after a further 23 deaths were recorded on Tuesday.

The latest figures from Sweden, which has chosen not to implement a coronavirus lockdown in favour of non-compulsory public health advice, came as several German states introduced a requirement for travellers arriving from the country to self-quarantine for 14 days, the Associated Press reports.

Germany had a quarantine requirement for most people arriving from abroad for over a month until mid-May, when state governments started exempting people coming from European countries.

But several states are now reintroducing the requirement for arrivals from Sweden, on the grounds that new infections there have exceeded 50 per 100,000 residents over seven days. Inside Germany, that level of infections in a region is supposed to trigger action by local authorities.

Bavaria on Tuesday followed three northern states — Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony — in imposing the quarantine.

Reported infection rates in Sweden have risen slightly recently because testing rules have changed slightly, allowing new groups of people to be tested.

 

[MenInG]

Sweden took a different approach to managing coronavirus than most countries - it avoided lockdown and kept many workplaces and social spaces open.

Now there is an uptick in cases again in the Scandinavian country - a further 15,000 confirmed infections since the beginning of June, bringing the country's total to 53,000.

The leading health official, Anders Tegnell, denied that it was a sign the virus was taking hold again. He put the rise down to an increase in testing.

Nonetheless, he urged Swedes to minimise socialising during the upcoming midsummer celebrations.

His critics accused him of arrogance for resisting a lockdown, but the country's death rate is better than some countries that introduced serious restrictions, including the UK, Spain and Italy.

Nearly 5,000 people have died from Covid-19 in Sweden.

 

[MenInG]

Sweden's coronavirus death toll tops 5,000

The number of people with coronavirus who have died in Sweden has now reached 5,041, health officials have announced.

With a population of just over 10 million, Sweden has had a heavier toll compared to its neighbours and has been closely watched owing to its controversial decision not to impose a strict lockdown.

Early this month, the man behind the policy, Anders Tegnell, acknowledged that the approach had resulted in too many deaths.

 

[MenInG]

Sweden's coronavirus death toll tops 5,000

The number of people with coronavirus who have died in Sweden has now reached 5,041, health officials have announced.

With a population of just over 10 million, Sweden has had a heavier toll compared to its neighbours and has been closely watched owing to its controversial decision not to impose a strict lockdown.

Early this month, the man behind the policy, Anders Tegnell, acknowledged that the approach had resulted in too many deaths.

 

[MenInG]

Sweden to lift advice against non-essential travel

Sweden will lift its advice against non-essential travel to 10 European countries from 30 June, the country’s foreign ministry has said.

The countries are Greece, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, France, Iceland, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

For other European countries – including the UK as well as neighbouring Denmark, Norway and Finland – the advice against non-essential travel will still apply.

A recommendation against travel to countries outside the EU and the Schengen open-border zone – which groups most EU member states and some non-members – will be extended to 31 August, Reuters reports.

 

[Firebat]

Loved and loathed, Sweden's anti-lockdown architect is unrepentant

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - As the architect of Sweden’s unorthodox response to the coronavirus pandemic, Anders Tegnell has got used to receiving death threats and being urged to resign.

But he says he has no plans to step down or step back and remains convinced that, over time, the anti-lockdown strategy that has seen his country break ranks with much of the world will prove its worth.

“I think a number of countries should have thought twice before taking the very drastic measure of a lockdown,” he told Reuters in an interview.

“That’s what’s experimental, not the Swedish model.”

While most countries have hunkered down behind closed doors, Sweden has relied on voluntary curbs on social contact, keeping most schools, restaurants, bars and businesses open.

Since March, its economy has outpaced the rest of Europe, but at over 5,000 its COVID-19 death toll is jarringly high - many times the combined total of neighbours Denmark, Finland and Norway.

Tegnell’s supporters, praising what they consider a forward-thinking approach to an unavoidable calamity, have sculpted his image in soap and wood, and the wave of flowers sent to the 64-year-old, a keen gardener, has been such that his local florist has asked for deliveries to be staggered.

Meanwhile the populist Sweden Democrats have described coronavirus deaths among the elderly as a “massacre” and demanded his resignation, and police have investigated multiple death threats against him.

Spoiler

“HORRIBLE” DEATH TOLL, BUT...

Tegnell, his hair greying and worry lines creasing his forehead, calls Sweden’s death toll “horrible” but maintains there is little evidence linking it to the absence of a lockdown, pointing instead to conditions at nursing homes, a decentralised health care system and travel patterns.

A veteran of anti-Ebola health campaigns in Africa, he also argues that his critics have focused too little on the consequences of shutdowns.

“It is fascinating how little we in Sweden have discussed the very negative effects that lockdowns have had in many countries. Domestic abuse... schoolchildren with very serious problems in many other countries,” he said.

“The effects of different strategies, lockdowns and other measures, are much more complex than we understand today... This disease is very difficult to understand.”

The death rate among Swedish COVID cases has fallen about 70% from a peak in April and Tegnell says some countries that adopted hard lockdowns, like Britain, Italy and Spain, have suffered more.

For him, it is the actions of his Nordic neighbours that are the more baffling. “The question is rather whether they had a reason to shut down at all?” he said.

But his remains the minority view and as Europe gradually reopens for travellers, Swedes have been excluded by many countries, even within the usually tight-knit Nordic countries.

“Their strategy has failed,” said Allan Randrup Thomsen, professor of virology at the University of Copenhagen, where the death toll per capita is a fifth of Sweden’s.

“It’s been a decisive factor for their high infection number, that they didn’t shut down to the same extent that (Denmark)... did.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ckdown-architect-is-unrepentant-idUSKBN23W22K

 

[pakistani pride]

A population of over 10 million and drama is created for 5.000 deaths?

I mean come on.

 

[Firebat]

A population of over 10 million and drama is created for 5.000 deaths?

I mean come on.

I think the outrage comes from their own citizens when you compare their Covid stats with their neighbours. Norway, Denmark and Finland have a combined population of over 16 million, but a combined deaths of 1,180. Does not make Sweden look good. High expectations in Scandanavia it seems.

 

[Firebat]

Coronavirus: Sweden says WHO made 'total mistake' by including it in warning

Swedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has rejected a warning from the World Health Organization that included Sweden among countries in Europe at risk of a Covid-19 resurgence.

The WHO on Thursday warned that several countries and territories were seeing a rise in infections. Eleven were in the UN agency's Europe region.

But Dr Tegnell told Swedish TV it was a "total misinterpretation of the data".

Sweden had seen a rise in cases, he argued, because it was testing more.

Spoiler

What did the WHO say?

According to WHO data, EU member state Sweden has seen 155 infections for every 100,000 inhabitants in the past 14 days, far higher than anywhere else in the organisation's defined Europe region, other than Armenia.

Regional Director Hans Henri Kluge said in a press conference on Thursday that in 11 countries, which included Sweden, "accelerated transmission has led to very significant resurgence that if left unchecked will push health systems to the brink once again".

The other countries and territories were: Moldova, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine, Kosovo, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Central Asian states of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

What's Sweden's position?

Sweden's response to the pandemic has been very different to other European countries. There has been no lockdown, with schools and cafes staying open, but large gatherings have been banned and most Swedes observe social distancing.

It has seen 5,230 deaths in a population of 10 million - a far higher mortality rate than its neighbours. This week Sweden reported its highest number of daily infections since the outbreak began, with 1,610 on Wednesday.

Dr Tegnell told SVT on Friday that Sweden was seeing a rising number of infections because it was testing far more than before. It was "unfortunate", he said, that the WHO was "confusing Sweden" with countries at the start of their epidemic.

"They didn't call to ask us," he complained. "The number of admissions to intensive care is at a very low level and even deaths are starting to go down." Observers say the death rate in Sweden is now down to normal levels for the time of year.

Dr Tegnell said it was particularly concerning that Sweden had been identified as an at-risk country when borders were beginning to open up.

Other Nordic countries have been slow to allow Swedes over their borders. Swedes will only be allowed into Denmark from Saturday if the region where they live meets the level of just 20 infections per 100,000 over a week, far lower than the WHO's current national figure for Sweden of 155.

Earlier this month, Dr Tegnell acknowledged that Sweden had seen too many deaths.

However, he has repeatedly defended the strategy of not locking down, saying it is too early to make a definitive judgement.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53190008

 

[MenInG]

More than 70,000 people have now tested positive for coronavirus in Sweden, while the death toll stands at 5,411.

Forty-one more people died in the last 24 hours, health agency statistics show.

Sweden's response to the pandemic has been very different to other European countries. There has been no lockdown, with schools and cafes staying open, but large gatherings have been banned and most Swedes observe social distancing.

But the country has seen a far higher mortality rate than its nearest neighbours that imposed strict lockdowns. Denmark has registered 606 deaths, Finland 328 and Norway 251.

Sweden's controversial decision not to impose a strict lockdown led to too many deaths, the man behind the policy, Anders Tegnell, acknowledged last month.

 

[MenInG]

Brightly coloured beach towels line the shores of Lake Storsjon, two hours north of Stockholm.

Staycations are popular here this summer, thanks to a slew of travel restrictions imposed on Sweden by other countries, due to its coronavirus infection rate.

More than 5,500 people have died with Covid-19 in this country of just 10 million. It is one of the highest death rates relative to population size in Europe, and by far the worst among the Nordic nations. Unlike Sweden, the rest all chose to lock down early in the pandemic.

"Maybe we should have taken some more care of each other," says Dan Eklund, 31, visiting the lake on his friend's boat.

Latest figures suggest Sweden is getting better at containing the virus. The number of daily reported deaths has been in single digits for much of July, in contrast with the peak of the pandemic in April, when more than 100 fatalities were logged on several dates.

 

[MenInG]

Sweden encourages working from home until next year

Sweden, whose controversial softer approach to curbing Covid-19 has received worldwide attention, has said it would keep encouraging people to work from home when possible, as the country passed 80,000 recorded cases, AFP reports.

The new recommendation, which is directed at those “who have the possibility to work from home”, will remain in place until the New Year.

Aimed in part at reducing crowding on public transport, the measure is designed to make things easier for those who need to physically go to work.

 

[MenInG]

Sweden's approach to this pandemic has been much discussed as, unlike most European countries, it chose not to impose a strict lockdown early on.

It largely kept businesses open and relied on voluntary social distancing guidelines to contain the virus.

But Sweden has recorded one of the highest death rates relative to population size in Europe, and some health officials have said they now regret the initial approach.

So did the decision not to lockdown shield their economy? To some extent, yes.

New figures show the Swedish economy shrank 8.6% in the April-to-June period from the previous three months - better than many other EU nations.

But it still recorded its largest quarterly fall in decades. And various forecasts predict its economy will still shrink by about 5% this year, which is similar to the rest of Scandinavia.

"It is, as expected, a dramatic downturn. But compared to other countries, it is considerably better, for instance if you compare to southern Europe," said Nordea bank chief analyst Torbjorn Isaksson.

Spain, for example, saw an 18.5% contraction in the same period, while the French and Italian economies shrank by 13.8% and 12.4% respectively.

 

[Firebat]

Swedish PM Stefan Lofven defends COVID-19 strategy

Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven says it was the right decision not to impose stricter lockdown measures - despite figures showing the country has much higher death rates than its neighbours.

Unlike much of Europe, Sweden did not enforce an official lockdown, close its schools or insist that residents wear face masks in public.

So far 5,810 Swedes have died of COVID-19 - a much higher death rate than in neighbouring Norway, Denmark and Finland, all of which have totals in triple figures.

Following criticism over the numbers, Mr Lofven insisted this was the best way to fight the spread of the virus.

He told the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter: "The strategy that we adopted, I believe is right - to protect individuals, limit the spread of the infection.

"What has been discussed most, and what we did differently in Sweden, was that we did not close schools. Now there are quite a few people who think we were right."

Although Sweden largely relied on voluntary social-distancing measures, it did limit public gatherings and quarantined its care homes, which, as in many other countries, were badly hit.

Now, as social-distancing measures ease, many European countries are seeing a rise in new cases.

However, Sweden has seen a decline in both infections and deaths in recent weeks.

Mr Lofven also defended the Public Health Agency of Sweden's decision not to enforce face masks in public.

He said: "What they are saying, and what I absolutely believe, is that they cannot be the main tool we use.

"What is important still is social distancing, testing and tracking. Those must be our main focus in order to reduce infection."

Coronavirus has killed over 790,000 people worldwide since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-swedish-pm-stefan-lofven-defends-covid-19-strategy-12054315

 

[JaDed]

It's spreading again everywhere.. even NZ is not spared.

 

[Firebat]

Swedish COVID-19 response chief predicts local outbreaks, no big second wave

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden is likely to see local outbreaks but no big second wave of COVID-19 cases in the autumn, such as inundated hospitals a few months ago, the country’s top epidemiologist and architect if its unorthodox pandemic strategy said on Monday.

Sweden has been an outlier in Europe’s fight against the novel coronavirus, keeping businesses, restaurants and most schools open throughout the pandemic, while not recommending the use of face masks, which remain a rare sight on city streets.

Per capita, Sweden has suffered many times more COVID-19 deaths than its Nordic neighbours, though not quite as many as Europe’s worst-hit countries such as Belgium, Spain and Britain.

New cases, hospitalisations and mortality have fallen sharply over the past couple of months. With most Swedes having returned from summer vacations and schools reopening last week for the new semester, there are concerns the country could see a second wave of infections.

“We don’t believe we’ll have a classic second wave, such as those seen in influenza pandemics where you get widespread contagion in the community again,” Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said in an interview with broadcaster TV4.

“This disease appears to work in a different way. The spread is more patchy, so the likelihood is greater that we will see - as one is currently seeing around Europe - outbreaks in certain places, at workplaces and similar environments, during the autumn.”

With the death toll nearing 6,000 people, including many nursing home residents who succumbed during March, April and May, Tegnell and the pandemic strategy he champions has divided opinion both at home and abroad.

A group of scientists that has long been critical of the country’s response, sometimes engaging in fierce argument with Tegnell, this month warned of a renewed spread of the virus as schools reopened, calling on authorities to step up safeguards.

“I think one should always be worried about this disease because it is constantly causing new mischief and is very unpredictable,” Tegnell said. “But that we would return to the situation we had during the spring - we don’t see that.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...al-outbreaks-no-big-second-wave-idUSKBN25K1B2

 

[the Great Khan]

their per capita deaths are quite high by the looks of things.

 

[Firebat]

Sweden's daily COVID-19 cases hit highest level since June

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden registered 752 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest daily rise since June, Health Agency statistics showed, the latest in a steady rise in infections in recent weeks after months of limited spread during the summer holiday season.

Sweden, which has been a European outlier in its avoidance of lockdowns and reluctance to recommend face masks, has so far not seen the kind of dramatic increase experienced in countries such as France and Spain and hospitalisations remain at low levels.

Deaths from COVID-19 have also slowed to a trickle with not a single new fatality being recorded on Thursday. However, the rise in daily cases was the highest since June 30, when Sweden registered just over 800 new cases.

Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, the architect of a soft-touch pandemic strategy aimed at limiting rather than eradicating the disease, said the upturn in cases was primarily linked to young people and outbreaks at work places.

“It’s very unevenly spread across Sweden, hitting different parts of the country to varying degree,” he told a news conference. “Stockholm once again accounts for a very large part of the new cases in Sweden.”

Sweden’s coronavirus strategy has largely been based on making recommendations and getting information out to the public, leveraging people’s high level of trust in national and local authorities and eschewing legal mandates as far as possible.

In a new set of recommendations, people living with somebody suffering from COVID-19 should self-quarantine for a week to avoid spreading the disease at their places of work, but children should continue to attend school, Tegnell said.

Sweden has registered 5,893 deaths among COVID-19 patients, a per capita fatality rate that is several times higher than its Nordic neighbours but lower than countries like Spain, Italy and Britain that opted for lockdowns.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...es-hit-highest-level-since-june-idUSKBN26M63D

 

[sweep_shot]

Maths expert warns of 1,000 more Covid deaths if Sweden drops restrictions

Sweden could see a further 1,000 people die of coronavirus by the end of the year if people stop following health recommendations, one of the country's leading pandemic modellers has warned.
In an interview with state broadcaster SVT, Tom Britton, a maths professor at Stockholm University, said that if the population begins to relax, it would lead to a sharp rise in the number of deaths, but not a repeat of the rates seen in April.

"If we were to drop the restrictions now and start to live how we did before the pandemic, then I think we could get as many as a thousand more [dead by the end of the year]," he said.

"It can absolutely not be at the same level as in the spring when no one had any immunity, but the risk for a great number of new deaths is still significant if we aren't careful."


Britton said he was himself optimistic that the population in Sweden would stick to the recommendations, keep the death rate at around the current level of two to three deaths a day, limiting further deaths this year to "a few hundred".

He said it would nonetheless be a challenge to keep up the same levels of hygiene and social distancing seen in April and May.

"It's human nature. You just quite simply can't bear it, and when the situation improves as significantly as it did in the summer, there's probably an excuse for taking all the behavioural rules a little easier," he said.

"I'm hopeful. There's probably a bit of self-regulation involved, that when we know that infection rate is rising, we will then become more careful and listen more to the recommendations of the Public Health Agency."

According to the Public Health Agency of Sweden, 5,894 people have died with coronavirus so far.

Source: https://www.thelocal.se/20201011/sweden-risks-1000-more-covid-deaths-this-year-maths-prof.

 

[Firebat]

Sweden advises elderly to avoid self-isolation

Swedes aged over 70 and other at-risk groups should now follow the same coronavirus guidelines as the rest of the population, the authorities say.

Sweden previously advised those groups to avoid all close contact with people they did not live with.

But Sweden's public health chief said self-isolation had taken a toll on the elderly. The country has not imposed tough rules seen elsewhere in Europe.

Sweden's infection rate is rising, but other parts of Europe are hit harder.

A second lockdown is in force in the Czech Republic to tackle a big surge.

Belgium, the Netherlands, France and the UK are also hotspots, as countries generally scramble to make more intensive care beds available.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54643070

 

[MenInG]

Sweden just announced 1,980 new cases in past 24hrs - its highest daily increase of the entire pandemic.

 

[Nadeemp]

Sweden advises elderly to avoid self-isolation

Swedes aged over 70 and other at-risk groups should now follow the same coronavirus guidelines as the rest of the population, the authorities say.

Sweden previously advised those groups to avoid all close contact with people they did not live with.

But Sweden's public health chief said self-isolation had taken a toll on the elderly. The country has not imposed tough rules seen elsewhere in Europe.

Sweden's infection rate is rising, but other parts of Europe are hit harder.

A second lockdown is in force in the Czech Republic to tackle a big surge.

Belgium, the Netherlands, France and the UK are also hotspots, as countries generally scramble to make more intensive care beds available.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54643070

I was in France during the summer. I key wearing masks. Almost nobody. Now paying the price

 

[The Viper]

Sweden sharply limits gatherings as second COVID-19 wave swells

The Swedish government has moved to sharply reduce the size of public gatherings, as it sought to come to grips with a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that has seen record daily numbers of new cases and growing pressure on hospitals.

Swedes have not been adhering to coronavirus recommendations and public gatherings will now be limited from a previous upper threshold of 300 to eight people, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said at a news conference on Monday.

The new measure will take effect on November 24. Interior Minister Mikael Damberg said the new limit on gatherings – far lower than the 50 allowed during the earlier outbreak – would be in place for four weeks but could be extended to run over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Too many people were acting as “if the danger is over”, he added.

For his part, Lofven sounded an ominous note on the importance of limiting social contacts.

“It’s going to get worse. Do your duty and take responsibility for stopping the spread of the virus,” he appealed to Swedes.

“This is the new norm for the entire society,” he said. “Don’t go to gyms, don’t go to libraries, don’t host dinners. Cancel.”

The new ban only applies to public gatherings such as sporting and cultural events, as the government does not have the authority to ban private gatherings in homes.

Schools and restaurants will stay open, for example, though the latter have already been limited to a maximum of eight people per table.

Swedes have also been advised not to socialise with anyone outside their household.

‘Appropriate’ measures
The resurgence of the disease hit Sweden weeks later than much of continental Europe, but the number of new infections has picked up speed since the turn of the month, with rising admissions to intensive care units and general COVID-19 wards.

The daily death toll from the disease has also climbed after having slowed to single digits during an extended summer lull, when many Swedes gradually began to live their lives more normally.

Sweden has gained international attention for its unorthodox response to the pandemic, shunning lockdowns and widespread use of face masks and instead relying on mainly voluntary measures even as the pandemic hit the country increasingly hard.

More than 6,000 people with COVID-19 have died in the country since the pandemic began, a death rate per capita several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours, if somewhat lower than some larger European countries such as Spain.

On Friday, the last day for which national data is available, Sweden reported a daily record of 5,990 cases, bringing its overall total to 177,355 cases since the start of the pandemic and 6,164 deaths.

“We don’t believe in a total lockdown,” Lofven said. “We believe that the measures we have taken … are appropriate.”

The Swedish government said last week that it would impose a nationwide 10pm ban on the sale of alcohol in bars, restaurants and night clubs as of November 20.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...rings-as-covid-19-pandemic-second-wave-swells

 

[MenInG]

Sweden records highest number of daily deaths for at least three months

Sweden registered 96 new deaths among people diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday, Health Agency statistics showed.

The figure is the highest in the country for at least three months.

Sweden has recorded a total of 6,321 deaths, several times higher per capita than that of its Nordic neighbours but lower than some larger European countries such as Spain.

The country registered 4,007 new daily cases on Wednesday.

The increase compared with a high of 5,990 cases recorded earlier this month.

 

[miandadrules]

Well, that didn’t end well.