Sweden recorded its deadliest week of the 21st century after controversially resisting coronavirus lockdown measures, according to a report.
There were at least 2,505 Swedes who died between April 6 to April 12, amounting to 358 fatalities per day, Swedish outlet The Local reported.
“It’s important to clearly state that these are preliminary statistics, and that the death toll, especially for the most recent weeks, will be revised upward,” said Tomas Johansson of Statistics Sweden, a government agency that compiled the figures.
The recent spike in fatalities comes as the country refused to implement containment measures to stop the spread of the virus.
The government has called for citizens to hold themselves accountable for social distancing instead of ordering lockdowns, Agence Frances-Press reported.
“The authorities and the government stupidly did not believe that the epidemic would reach Sweden at all,” Bo Lundback, professor of epidemiology at the University of Gothenburg, told the outlet.
Sweden has recorded more than 19,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday afternoon, resulting in 2,355 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. By comparison, Sweden’s Nordic neighbors — Denmark, Norway and Finland — have recorded just 434, 206 and 199 deaths, respectively, as of Tuesday afternoon.
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