Concern in Malmö as some areas record an increase in footfall year-on-year
Authorities in Malmö are concerned about the high number of people out and about despite local recommendations to avoid non-essential visits to shops and other indoor venues. Recent data from mobile network Telia shows that in some parts of the city, movement has increased in September compared to the same month last year, even despite the pandemic.
In some popular shopping and dining areas, visitor numbers had fallen year on year quite significantly in May, but in September were actually higher compared to the same month last year, leaving authorities concerned ahead of big shopping weekends like Black Friday and the run-up to Christmas.
“This is a serious situation. The next few weeks will be decisive for which direction [the coronavirus pandemic] takes in Skåne,” municipal management strategist Per-Erik Ebbeståhl told a press conference on Wednesday.
Swedish vocabulary: serious – allvarlig
People dine outside at Möllevångstorget earlier this year. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
Number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in Stockholm has almost doubled
The number of Covid-19 patients is growing in Stockholm hospitals, new figures show.
“It is increasing way too much. We don't want to see this large an increase. It's a 70 percent increase from week 42 to 43,” Stockholm acting infectious disease physician Maria Rotzén Östlund told the TT newswire about the weeks from October 12th to 25th.
A total of 119 Covid-19 patients are currently being treated in emergency hospitals or geriatric care, 34 more than the previous update (Friday last week). Of those, 14 are in intensive care, five more than in the last report from Stockholm.
Swedish vocabulary: increase (noun) – ökning
People walking in central Stockholm in late October. Photo: Amir Nabizadeh/TT
Swedish government presents new bill on Sami rights
Sweden is proposing a bill which, if passed, would give the indigenous Sami people a greater say in issues that directly affect them. Sweden has repeatedly been criticised over its treatment of the group, including by the UN earlier this year, and work has been underway on the bill for several years.
According to Minister of Culture and Democracy Amanda Lind, the law would help give the Sami greater influence, for example by being consulted on particular issues. She said: “It is a right to be heard in processes, it is not a right of veto in decision-making. But the hope is that it will lead to early dialogue, that you get different perspectives and it can lead to better decisions.”
The bill is set to be sent out for consultation (feedback from relevant authorities) on Thursday, after which it may be adapted before putting it to parliament. If passed, the law would come into effect from July 2021.
Swedish vocabulary: rights – rättigheter
Culture and Democracy Minister Amanda Lind. Photo: Amir Nabizadeh/TT
Jokkmokk winter market to go digital for first time in 415 years
The winter market in Jokkmokk, north of the Arctic Circle, is a major event in the Swedish holiday calendar and usually sees up to 50,000 visitors descend on the town of less than 3,000 residents. It has been held annually without interruption for more than four centuries, but this year the event will not take place physically.
Instead of market stalls on the streets, cultural lectures and other activities will take place online.
Swedish vocabulary: calendar – kalender
How the market usually lyooks. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT
Amazon's Swedish launch marred by technical and translation errors
The launch of online retailer Amazon in Sweden on Wednesday gained plenty of attention, but perhaps not for the reasons the company hoped.
Argentine flags were displayed in settings instead of Swedish, and there were a lot of errors in item descriptions which appeared to be caused by machine translations, meaning that among other things, the word 'rape' was wrongly added to product names and Easter decorations described as 'hand-knitted penises'.
Swedish vocabulary: flag – flagga
Swedish authorities' confidential information leaked in hacker attack
Security arrangements for the Swedish parliament, alarm systems and details of bank vault floor plans have been shared online in a data leak that saw around 38,000 files stolen by hackers.
Among the leaked documents are details of the security arrangements for the Swedish parliament and confidential plans of the Swedish Tax Agency's new office on the outskirts of Stockholm, the paper said.
Plans for bank vaults in at least two German banks were leaked, while other documents show the alarm systems and surveillance cameras at a branch of the SEB bank in Sweden, it reported.
Swedish vocabulary: hacker – hackare
The Swedish parliament. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT
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