Today in Sweden: A round-up of the latest news on Monday
Find out what's going on in Sweden today with The Local's short round-up of the news in less than five minutes.
How waiting times for Swedish citizenship have risen since 2018
Waiting times for Swedish citizenship have increased by 70 percent since a new law intended to speed up the application process was introduced in 2018, reports SVT.
Since 2018, people who have been waiting for a decision on an application for Swedish citizenship, or a work or residence permit, for at least six months have the right to request an immediate decision from the Migration Agency. But a decision is not guaranteed; the Migration Agency may also conclude it can't immediately make one.
Almost 100,000 requests for a fast decision have been submitted to the Migration Agency since 2018, and the Migration Agency says they've created a Catch-22.
Swedish vocabulary: citizenship – medborgarskap
A law introduced in 2018 has created a Catch-22, says the Migration Agency. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT
Swedish hospitals report faster Covid-19 recovery
Covid-19 patients are able to get discharged from intensive care faster than in spring, reports Sweden's public radio broadcaster Sveriges Radio, citing figures from the Public Health Agency. The radio's news programme Ekot reports that a Covid-19 patient now spends on average nine days in intensive care, compared to 16 days.
Part of the reason is that the healthcare sector now has more information about the virus and are able to treat patients more effectively, through for example early medication to prevent blood clots, according to doctors that Ekot has spoken to. Another reason is that patients now seek healthcare sooner, so they are not as ill when they arrive in hospital compared to in spring, when many were told to wait at home.
Swedish vocabulary: hospital – sjukhus
The Mälar Hospital in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT
Latest update on Sweden's coronavirus vaccination plan
The Public Health Agency is preparing a plan for how Sweden will carry out coronavirus vaccinations once the first doses of vaccine are approved, and has outlined the next steps. The government expects to eventually be able to offer vaccinations to everyone aged over 18, and has pledged that they will be free for each individual.
The groups that will get access to the first doses are:
-
People staying in elderly care homes or people receiving social care support at home
-
People who come into contact with vulnerable people in elderly care, healthcare and other social care
-
Adults who live together with people who receive social care support at home
Swedish vocabulary: elderly care home – äldreboende
Vaccinations may start in Sweden in January. Photo: Gorm Kallestad/NTB Scanpix/TT
Drop in air traffic at Sweden's airports
A total of 386,000 people used one of Swedavia's ten airports in Sweden in November, down 87 percent on the same month last year. Bromma, one of Stockholm's airports, saw the biggest decrease with a 95 percent year-on-year fall in November. Bromma's traffic has fallen 78 percent in 2020 so far, reports Swedish news agency TT.
State-owned Swedavia, which recorded losses of 717 million kronor in the third quarter, said November was the ninth consecutive month of historically weak figures for air traffic, due to travel restrictions and uncertainty caused by the spread of coronavirus.
Swedish vocabulary: airport – flygplats
Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or questions about life in Sweden, you are always welcome to email our editorial team at [email protected].
Comments
See Also
How waiting times for Swedish citizenship have risen since 2018
Waiting times for Swedish citizenship have increased by 70 percent since a new law intended to speed up the application process was introduced in 2018, reports SVT.
Since 2018, people who have been waiting for a decision on an application for Swedish citizenship, or a work or residence permit, for at least six months have the right to request an immediate decision from the Migration Agency. But a decision is not guaranteed; the Migration Agency may also conclude it can't immediately make one.
Almost 100,000 requests for a fast decision have been submitted to the Migration Agency since 2018, and the Migration Agency says they've created a Catch-22.
Swedish vocabulary: citizenship – medborgarskap
A law introduced in 2018 has created a Catch-22, says the Migration Agency. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT
Swedish hospitals report faster Covid-19 recovery
Covid-19 patients are able to get discharged from intensive care faster than in spring, reports Sweden's public radio broadcaster Sveriges Radio, citing figures from the Public Health Agency. The radio's news programme Ekot reports that a Covid-19 patient now spends on average nine days in intensive care, compared to 16 days.
Part of the reason is that the healthcare sector now has more information about the virus and are able to treat patients more effectively, through for example early medication to prevent blood clots, according to doctors that Ekot has spoken to. Another reason is that patients now seek healthcare sooner, so they are not as ill when they arrive in hospital compared to in spring, when many were told to wait at home.
Swedish vocabulary: hospital – sjukhus
The Mälar Hospital in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT
Latest update on Sweden's coronavirus vaccination plan
The Public Health Agency is preparing a plan for how Sweden will carry out coronavirus vaccinations once the first doses of vaccine are approved, and has outlined the next steps. The government expects to eventually be able to offer vaccinations to everyone aged over 18, and has pledged that they will be free for each individual.
The groups that will get access to the first doses are:
- People staying in elderly care homes or people receiving social care support at home
- People who come into contact with vulnerable people in elderly care, healthcare and other social care
- Adults who live together with people who receive social care support at home
Swedish vocabulary: elderly care home – äldreboende
Vaccinations may start in Sweden in January. Photo: Gorm Kallestad/NTB Scanpix/TT
Drop in air traffic at Sweden's airports
A total of 386,000 people used one of Swedavia's ten airports in Sweden in November, down 87 percent on the same month last year. Bromma, one of Stockholm's airports, saw the biggest decrease with a 95 percent year-on-year fall in November. Bromma's traffic has fallen 78 percent in 2020 so far, reports Swedish news agency TT.
State-owned Swedavia, which recorded losses of 717 million kronor in the third quarter, said November was the ninth consecutive month of historically weak figures for air traffic, due to travel restrictions and uncertainty caused by the spread of coronavirus.
Swedish vocabulary: airport – flygplats
Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or questions about life in Sweden, you are always welcome to email our editorial team at [email protected].
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.