Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday

Swedish regions halts free Covid tests for border commuters

People who commute to Denmark for work will no longer be able to get a free test in southern Swedish region Skåne. Regional authorities on Tuesday halted the scheme – which TT reports has cost the region over 100 million kronor – with immediate effect.

Those who are vaccinated against Covid and have received their Covid certificate as proof are able to use that to commute to Denmark. People who are not able to get a Covid certificate will have to pay for a test in Sweden in order to get to Denmark.

Commuters are at the time of writing still able to get tested for free in Denmark.

Swedish vocabulary: commuter – pendlare

Sweden’s annual elk hunt gets under way

Sweden’s elk cull gets under way in the Norrland region today, after the government decided it could get started on September 1st so that more animals could get shot.

But an expert from a Swedish hunting association told the TT newswire that he thought most hunters would stick to tradition and start on the first Monday of September regardless.

Around 300,000 people are expected to take part in the hunt. They have permission to shoot around 80,000 elk. During the first month of the hunt they are also meant to report any observations and the weight of the carcasses to help researchers keep track of the health of Sweden’s elk population.

Swedish vocabulary: elk (moose) – älg

Future pandemic laws: Should Sweden be able to impose a curfew?

The Swedish government has appointed an inquiry to investigate how the country’s legislation could be changed to prepare for future pandemics. One of the things the inquiry is supposed to answer is whether or not Sweden should be able to impose a curfew.

Many countries imposed mandatory lockdowns and curfews during the coronavirus pandemic, but Swedish decision-makers were reluctant to do anything that would change the country’s constitutional protections of freedom of movement.

They still are: Health Minister Lena Hallengren told TT that she would be prepared to change her opinion if the inquiry presented good arguments, but “at the end of the day I don’t think we should have a curfew. It’s an enormous infringement of people’s freedom”.

Swedish vocabulary: curfew – utegångsförbud

Sweden updates Covid-19 testing and isolating rules for travellers

Everyone who enters Sweden from a country outside the Nordic region should continue to get tested for Covid-19 after arriving, after the Public Health Agency updated its recommendation.

This applies to both Swedish and foreign citizens, regardless of the reason for travel, although children under six and people who have received their second dose of a coronavirus vaccine at least two weeks before arrival in Sweden are exempt.

However, even people who are fully vaccinated should get tested if they experience any symptoms of the virus – this applies regardless of whether they have recently been abroad.

Swedish vocabulary: regardless – oavsett