KEY POINTS: Sweden's five-step plan for ditching pandemic restrictions
The Swedish government has rolled out a detailed five-step plan for lifting the country's coronavirus restrictions. Here's a list of the planned rule changes between now, September and beyond.
First, here's a link to The Local's report from the government's press conference announcing the five-step plan. Please note that the dates below are not set in stone and will depend on how the coronavirus outbreak develops in the coming weeks and months.
Step 1: June 1st
- Up to 50 people will be allowed at cinemas, theatres and other seated indoor events
- Up to 100 people will be allowed at non-seated sport, culture and other outdoor events
- Up to 500 people will be allowed at seated sport, culture and other outdoor events
- Up to 150 people will be allowed at running events, orienteering, swimming and other outdoor competitions
- The maximum rule of eight people at public events will no longer apply to flea markets and other markets
- Liseberg, Gröna Lund, Skara Sommarland and other permanent amusement parks attractions will be allowed one person per 20 square metres
- Bars and restaurants will be able to stay open until 10.30pm
- Summer camps for children will be allowed
- Small tournaments for children, indoor and outdoor, will be allowed
- Universities will be able to organise on-campus teaching
Step 2: July 1st
- Up to 50 people will be allowed at non-seated indoor events
- Up to 300 people will be allowed at seated indoor events
- Up to 600 people will be allowed at non-seated outdoor events
- Up to 3,000 people will be allowed at seated outdoor events
- Up to 900 people will be allowed at outdoor running events
- Up to 50 people allowed at private events
- Opening hours for bars and restaurants will be extended, and distancing rules and the maximum limit on people per table will be removed for outdoor serving areas
- Bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve food and beverage to standing customers in outdoor serving areas
- The advice for associations (so for example a housing association, not a workplace) to cancel in-person meetings will be “eased” but the government did not explain how
- The Public Health Agency will also remove the recommendation to only socialise with your closest circle in this step, but will still advise people to meet outdoors
Step 3: mid-July
- Limits on passengers on long-distance trains and buses will be removed
- Municipalities will no longer be allowed to ban people from certain public spaces
- The recommendation to wear a face mask during rush hour on public transport will be removed
- The limits on people per square metres in indoor and outdoor areas (for example shops and shopping centres) will be removed, but crowding is still discouraged
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Step 4: September
- The limit on number of people allowed at public events and public gatherings will be removed
- The limit on private events will be removed
- The rules for restaurants and bars will be removed entirely, including indoor areas
Step 5: Date to be announced
- All remaining restrictions and recommendations will be lifted. This includes removing recommendations to avoid crowding, to meet each other outdoors rather than indoors, to work from home and to practise good hand hygiene. The only remaining recommendations will be to stay at home if you develop Covid-19 symptoms – this will be removed "as soon as the epidemiological situation permits".
Note that the government did NOT announce anything about international travel restrictions at the press conference, but more information on this is expected to follow. The government said it would announce in mid-June whether it will introduce a possibility to use "vaccine passes" to gain entry to for example large events, and if so, how this will be regulated.
You can read the full plan in Swedish HERE. If you have any questions you are always welcome to email our editorial team at [email protected]. We're not able to reply to every email, but we read them all and they help inform our coverage.
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First, here's a link to The Local's report from the government's press conference announcing the five-step plan. Please note that the dates below are not set in stone and will depend on how the coronavirus outbreak develops in the coming weeks and months.
Step 1: June 1st
- Up to 50 people will be allowed at cinemas, theatres and other seated indoor events
- Up to 100 people will be allowed at non-seated sport, culture and other outdoor events
- Up to 500 people will be allowed at seated sport, culture and other outdoor events
- Up to 150 people will be allowed at running events, orienteering, swimming and other outdoor competitions
- The maximum rule of eight people at public events will no longer apply to flea markets and other markets
- Liseberg, Gröna Lund, Skara Sommarland and other permanent amusement parks attractions will be allowed one person per 20 square metres
- Bars and restaurants will be able to stay open until 10.30pm
- Summer camps for children will be allowed
- Small tournaments for children, indoor and outdoor, will be allowed
- Universities will be able to organise on-campus teaching
Step 2: July 1st
- Up to 50 people will be allowed at non-seated indoor events
- Up to 300 people will be allowed at seated indoor events
- Up to 600 people will be allowed at non-seated outdoor events
- Up to 3,000 people will be allowed at seated outdoor events
- Up to 900 people will be allowed at outdoor running events
- Up to 50 people allowed at private events
- Opening hours for bars and restaurants will be extended, and distancing rules and the maximum limit on people per table will be removed for outdoor serving areas
- Bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve food and beverage to standing customers in outdoor serving areas
- The advice for associations (so for example a housing association, not a workplace) to cancel in-person meetings will be “eased” but the government did not explain how
- The Public Health Agency will also remove the recommendation to only socialise with your closest circle in this step, but will still advise people to meet outdoors
Step 3: mid-July
- Limits on passengers on long-distance trains and buses will be removed
- Municipalities will no longer be allowed to ban people from certain public spaces
- The recommendation to wear a face mask during rush hour on public transport will be removed
- The limits on people per square metres in indoor and outdoor areas (for example shops and shopping centres) will be removed, but crowding is still discouraged
Step 4: September
- The limit on number of people allowed at public events and public gatherings will be removed
- The limit on private events will be removed
- The rules for restaurants and bars will be removed entirely, including indoor areas
Step 5: Date to be announced
- All remaining restrictions and recommendations will be lifted. This includes removing recommendations to avoid crowding, to meet each other outdoors rather than indoors, to work from home and to practise good hand hygiene. The only remaining recommendations will be to stay at home if you develop Covid-19 symptoms – this will be removed "as soon as the epidemiological situation permits".
Note that the government did NOT announce anything about international travel restrictions at the press conference, but more information on this is expected to follow. The government said it would announce in mid-June whether it will introduce a possibility to use "vaccine passes" to gain entry to for example large events, and if so, how this will be regulated.
You can read the full plan in Swedish HERE. If you have any questions you are always welcome to email our editorial team at [email protected]. We're not able to reply to every email, but we read them all and they help inform our coverage.
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