This is the darkest month of the year and it unfortunately looks like we are moving towards darker times. All indicators point in the wrong direction, said Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. Now the pubs have to close the tap at 10 pm.
The Prime Minister himself has spent a few days in a self-imposed quarantine pending the result of a corona test. It was negative and Stefan Löfven addressed the press conference together with Minister of Social Affairs Lena Hallengren.
– We risk conditions that are dark at night. There are more who have started to relax this autumn, said Löfven.
Prohibition probably until the end of February 2021
Thus, the government has decided that alcohol sales will be banned after 10 pm. It will apply from 20 November.
The Minister of Social Affairs says that this will probably also mean that restaurants with a liquor license must close at 2230.
– Right now the situation is unsustainable. It is expected that the ban will last until the end of February 2021, said Lena Hallengren. She said they have seen the virus spread easily in bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Both Hallgren and Löfven said that even stricter rules must be introduced if the situation does not improve.
More than 6,000 died
Two months ago, 12 people were admitted with covid-19 to Swedish intensive care units, on 1 November the number had risen to 63, and on Tuesday it was up to 131 people.
Earlier today, 25 new coronary-related deaths and 4,467 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. So far, 6,082 people have died in connection with the pandemic in Sweden.
In recent days, there has been more bad news.
Today, the Minister of Social Affairs convened an emergency meeting after several regions have reported that the test capacity has exploded.
Seven counties had announced on Wednesday that they had reached the limit of their test capacity.
Sweden has had far less strict rules than many other European countries. The country has also experienced strong criticism for its handling of the coronavirus .
Source: nrk.no
