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The week in pictures: Sweden prepares for a very different Easter

This week saw the number of known coronavirus cases in Sweden rise to over 10,000, while people around the country prepared for a very different Easter amid strict warnings not to travel within the country. Here's a look at some of the week's most striking pictures.

The week in pictures: Sweden prepares for a very different Easter
Travellers are spaced out on an escalator in Stockholm's central station. Photo: Ali Lorestani / TT


Photo: Anders Wiklund / TT

Staff wearing protective clothing at the entrance to Karolinska University Hospital.


Photo: Anders Wiklund / TT

Restaurants and bars which fail to comply with new regulations linked to the coronavirus, including spacing out tables (as seen above) and stopping bar or counter service, risk being shut down. 


Photo: Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT

A drive-in cinema in Gothenburg is one of many efforts to ensure people can still enjoy culture and feel a sense of community during the crisis.


Photo: Jessica Gow / TT

Normally Gudrun Rösnes works in the mask and costume workshop at the Kulturhuset theatre, but right now she and her team are working on making protective equipment for healthcare workers instead.


Photo: Anders Wiklund / TT

Staff and volunteers at Stockholm's Södersjukhuset have also been making protective equipment for hospital workers.


Photo: Andreas Hillergren / TT

An extra 12 intensive care beds have been created in Helsingborg thanks to a field hospital housed in a tent.


Photo: Janerik Henriksson / TT

Stockholm's Old Town is normally packed with tourists and locals alike, but its shops and restaurants are far emptier.


Photo: Ali Lorestani / TT

But elsewhere some cafes and restaurants are still busy, as this photo from Wednesday shows. After checks on Stockholm restaurants this week and visits to 90 spots, around 20 received warnings relating to violations of the new regulations. 


Photo: Ali Lorestani / TT

A worker disinfects shopping baskets at supermarket Ica. Shops and businesses across the country have intensified cleaning routines following new regulations from the Public Health Agency in early April, which also require them to ensure people keep distance in queues and at other busy areas.


Photo: AP Photo/Andres Kudacki

At the Nacka nature reserve on the outskirts of Stockholm, people were still able to get their first outdoor swim of the season in. The Public Health Agency has advised people to exercise outdoors rather than do indoor group exercise where possible.


Photo: Ali Lorestani / TT

Volunteers at charity Stadsmissionen have been delivering food parcels to people who are isolated due to the coronavirus.


Photo: Jonas Ekströmer / TT

At Uppsala Cathedral, the Good Friday service was recorded so that the congregation could join online.

What should you be doing to help reduce the rate of infection?

In Sweden, the official advice requires everyone to:

  • Stay at home if you have any cold- or flu-like symptoms, even if they are mild and you would normally continue life as normal. Stay at home until you have been fully symptom-free for at least two days.
     
  • Practise good hygiene, by regularly and thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water, using hand sanitiser when that's not possible, and covering any coughs and sneezes with your elbow.
     
  • Keep distance from all other people when in public places. That includes shops, parks, museums, and on the street, for example. The World Health Organisation recommends keeping at least a 1.5-2 metre distance.
     
  • Avoid large gatherings, including parties, weddings, and other activities.
     
  • Work from home if you can. Employers have been asked to ensure this happens where possible.
     
  • Avoid all non-essential travel, both within and outside Sweden. That includes visits to family, planned holidays, and any other trips that can be avoided.
     
  • If you have to travel, avoid busy times such as rush hour if you can. This reduces the number of people on public transport and makes it easier for people to keep their distance.
     
  • If you are over 70 or belong to a high-risk group, you should stay at home and reduce all social contacts. Avoid going to the shops (get groceries delivered or try to find someone who can help you), but you can go outside if you keep distance from other people. Read more about the help available to those in risk groups here.
     
  • By following these precautions, we can all help to protect those who are most at risk and to reduce the rate of infection, which in turn reduces the burden on Sweden's healthcare sector.
     
  • Read more detail about the precautions we should all be taking in this paywall-free article. Advice in English is also available from Sweden's Public Health Agency and the World Health Organisation.

Member comments

  1. I think the thing here in Sweden that is confusing people is the meaning of “Social Distancing “

    People are still having friends around for dinners and fika. This is not social distancing unless you can be apart 1.5-2 metres. To be honest people have such a relaxed view of this here

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