Police officer killed in Gothenburg shooting

A police officer has died in hospital from injuries sustained in a shooting in Hisingen, Gothenburg.

“This is a terribly tragic event and it was an awful and sad message to receive. My thoughts go above all to his relatives but also to all his colleagues,” said regional police chief Klas Johansson in a statement.

The statement said it was “still unclear” exactly what happened, but that police were talking to some people when shots were fired around 10.30pm. 

No-one has yet been arrested in connection with the shooting, but police spent the night investigating the cordoned-off crime scene and speaking to possible witnesses in the area. 

Swedish vocabulary: police officer – polis

Covid-19 vaccine pass launches today

As of 9am this morning, it should be possible to log in to the covidbevis.se website and apply for your vaccine pass, if you have received the Covid-19 vaccination. 

The Local has been asking the eHealth Agency for clarification on what people without a personnummer should do to get their vaccine pass, or if this will be possible, and we will share updates when we get them.

• How to get your Covid-19 vaccine pass in Sweden

Swedish vocabulary: possible – möjlig

Why Sweden’s Rural Affairs Minister has resigned

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven is currently running a transition government, and this usually means that all the same ministers stay on, although the government can’t pass “politically controversial” proposals.

But one of Löfven’s ministers, Rural Affairs Minister Jennie Nilsson, has resigned her post to re-enter parliament so that she can vote with her party in any prime ministerial vote. That’s because when she took up the ministerial post, another Social Democrat replaced her as an MP, but her replacement has been absent on sick leave and not been replaced. With the very close split in the current parliament, a single vote could be decisive, prompting Nilsson to return to her seat. 

Swedish vocabulary: transition government – övergångsregering

• How does a transitional government work in Sweden?

Long queues for new passports

The difficulties and restrictions for international travel mean many people may not have renewed expired passports, and queues for renewals may be long in Sweden over the summer, with police warning of waiting times over three weeks in the major city regions.

The advice from police is to wait until autumn if you do not need your passport immediately; apply for the renewal in a less busy part of the country if you can, for example if you are on holiday in a rural region; and apply as soon as you can if you will need to travel this summer.

Swedish vocabulary: passport queue – passkö

Two regions crack down on ‘vaccine tourists’

Gotland and Uppsala are temporarily stopping offering vaccines to people who have received their first doses in another region. In general, Swedish healthcare authorities have asked people to get vaccinated in their home region rather than travelling, but due to summer holidays and the wide range in eligible age groups in different regions, many have crossed regional borders to get the jab.

On Gotland, booking for people who received their first vaccine outside the region will be paused for a week from Thursday, which could be extended further, and in Uppsala where a quarter of upcoming appointments were booked by Stockholmers, people from other regions will be de-prioritised in the booking their second dose. 

Sweden’s healthcare system means the regions can’t deny care including vaccines to people registered elsewhere, but because of the limited supply of the vaccine, they are able to set their own priorities not only by setting age limits but also by prioritising local residents. 

Swedish vocabulary: second dose – andra dos

What are the most future-proof jobs in Sweden?

Healthcare staff, carpenters, system developers, teachers and engineers are some of the professions that will be highly sought after in the coming years, according to an updated forecast from Arbetsförmedlingen (the Swedish Public Employment Service) which predicts job opportunities in Sweden up to 2026.

They predict tougher competition for jobs in sales, purchasing and marketing, finance and administration, and culture.