Lockdown-free Sweden: Just 12 new infections per million people

Lockdown-free Sweden saw its coronavirus case rate drop below its Nordic neighbours Denmark and Norway today to just 12 new infections per million people over the past week.

At its peak on June 19, Sweden was seeing 108 new infections per million people, compared to Denmark and Norway's eight and three respectively.

Furthermore, its capital Stockholm, the epicentre of Sweden's pandemic during the peak months of April and May, registered its lowers number of cases since March last week.

In Stockholm, 250 of 14,000 people tested last week were infected with the virus, a positive rate of 1.8 percent. 

Denmark registered 179 new cases on Friday, its highest daily total for more than four months. 

To add to positive signs in Sweden, a test last week of 2,500 randomly selected people found not one had coronavirus. 

In comparison, in a similar test, 0.9 per cent were found to have the virus at the end of April and 0.3 per cent at the end of May.

Announcing the results on Thursday, Dr Tegnell's deputy at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, Karin Tegmark Wisell, said: 'We interpret this as meaning there is not currently a widespread infection among people who do not have symptoms.'

Instead of implementing a lockdown, Sweden's measures focused on voluntary social distancing guidance and hygiene recommendations, and it also refused to recommend the use of face masks, but has said they may be advised in the future.

Many businesses have also continued to operate, meaning the economy has fared significantly better than most.

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