Today in Sweden: A round-up of the latest news on Tuesday
Find out what's going on in Sweden today with The Local's short round-up of the news in less than five minutes.
Rapid rise in patients hospitalised for Covid-19 in Västra Götaland
Yesterday The Local reported how Stockholm's intensive care units reached full capacity over the weekend following a drastic rise in admissions over two weeks; now similar signals have come from Västra Götaland.
Between Friday and Monday, there was a 29 percent rise in in-patients in the region's hospitals, with the region writing on Twitter: "The situation is serious, pressure extremely high on the healthcare sector and the spread of infection continues to rise" and urging people to avoid close contact with people outside their closest circle, keep rooms well-ventilated and wear masks in situations where that's not possible (like on essential trips to shops or doctors).
And it's not just the two largest regions affected, with Jönköping and Värmland also reporting a sharp rise in patients admitted to hospital for Covid-19 over the past weekend alone.
The biweekly press conference from Swedish authorities takes place this afternoon, and there will be an update on the latest numbers (daily updates don't happen over weekends or on Mondays) so we should have more detail on the situation nationwide this afternoon.
Swedish vocabulary: pressure – tryck
Several Liberals leave the party after it opens door to far-right collaboration
Several MPs from the centre-right Liberal Party have left the party in protest after a decision to aim for a right-wing government next year with its former allies, even if it means being propped up by the far-right Sweden Democrats.
Those who have left so far don't include any senior names. Peter Harish, a councillor in Eskilstuna, wrote on Facebook: "I have to hold my head up and say I'm not playing a part in a xenophobic, nationalist party with Nazi roots getting more influence over how the country is run."
Swedish vocabulary: influence – inflytande
High demand for car hire over Easter
A survey by TT shows that many car hire companies are fully booked over Easter, although the impact on bus and train tickets is lower, suggesting more Swedes are choosing to travel in ways that are less likely to spread infection.
Unlike last Easter, there is no national recommendation to avoid travel, although any travel should be done in a way that reduces the risk of spreading infection, and in several regions including Stockholm, Västra Götaland, Västerbotten and Värmland, local measures mean everyone should avoid non-essential travel completely.
Swedish vocabulary: hire car (noun) – hyrbil
Parents risk fine for keeping children home from school during pandemic
Three children in a town in Skåne have not attended school since before summer 2020, because their guardians wanted to reduce their risk of catching Covid-19, according to a report in Sydsvenskan. Now the municipality has threatened the family with fines if the children don't return after Easter.
Swedish vocabulary: fine (noun) – vite
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Rapid rise in patients hospitalised for Covid-19 in Västra Götaland
Yesterday The Local reported how Stockholm's intensive care units reached full capacity over the weekend following a drastic rise in admissions over two weeks; now similar signals have come from Västra Götaland.
Between Friday and Monday, there was a 29 percent rise in in-patients in the region's hospitals, with the region writing on Twitter: "The situation is serious, pressure extremely high on the healthcare sector and the spread of infection continues to rise" and urging people to avoid close contact with people outside their closest circle, keep rooms well-ventilated and wear masks in situations where that's not possible (like on essential trips to shops or doctors).
And it's not just the two largest regions affected, with Jönköping and Värmland also reporting a sharp rise in patients admitted to hospital for Covid-19 over the past weekend alone.
The biweekly press conference from Swedish authorities takes place this afternoon, and there will be an update on the latest numbers (daily updates don't happen over weekends or on Mondays) so we should have more detail on the situation nationwide this afternoon.
Swedish vocabulary: pressure – tryck
Several Liberals leave the party after it opens door to far-right collaboration
Several MPs from the centre-right Liberal Party have left the party in protest after a decision to aim for a right-wing government next year with its former allies, even if it means being propped up by the far-right Sweden Democrats.
Those who have left so far don't include any senior names. Peter Harish, a councillor in Eskilstuna, wrote on Facebook: "I have to hold my head up and say I'm not playing a part in a xenophobic, nationalist party with Nazi roots getting more influence over how the country is run."
Swedish vocabulary: influence – inflytande
High demand for car hire over Easter
A survey by TT shows that many car hire companies are fully booked over Easter, although the impact on bus and train tickets is lower, suggesting more Swedes are choosing to travel in ways that are less likely to spread infection.
Unlike last Easter, there is no national recommendation to avoid travel, although any travel should be done in a way that reduces the risk of spreading infection, and in several regions including Stockholm, Västra Götaland, Västerbotten and Värmland, local measures mean everyone should avoid non-essential travel completely.
Swedish vocabulary: hire car (noun) – hyrbil
Parents risk fine for keeping children home from school during pandemic
Three children in a town in Skåne have not attended school since before summer 2020, because their guardians wanted to reduce their risk of catching Covid-19, according to a report in Sydsvenskan. Now the municipality has threatened the family with fines if the children don't return after Easter.
Swedish vocabulary: fine (noun) – vite
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