Sweden 06.04.2020 While the rest of Europe imposes severe restrictions on public life and closes borders and businesses, is taking a more relaxed approach to the coronavirus outbreak. Unlike its immediate neighbors Denmark, Finland and Norway Sweden has not closed its borders or its schools. Neither has it closed non-essential businesses or banned gatherings of more than two people, like the U.K. and Germany. Sweden's response to the outbreak is being overseen largely by the country's Public Health Agency. It has taken a conspicuously different approach to the coronavirus from its international peers, trusting the public to adopt voluntary, softer measures to delay the spread of the virus. This apparently laissez-faire approach has attracted criticism both from within Sweden, from a group of epidemiologists, as well from other countries which are locking down public life to curb the outbreak. The Public Health Agency's lead epidemiologist, and a key figure in Sweden's national response to the coronavirus, is Anders Tegnell. He told CNBC that although his country's strategy to tackle the virus was different, the aim was the same. "My view is that basically all European countries are trying to do the same thing — we're trying to slow down the spread as much as possible to keep healthcare and society working ... and we have shown some different methods to slow down the spread," he told CNBC Monday. "Sweden has gone mostly for voluntary measures because that's how we're used to working," Tegnell added. "And we have a long tradition that it works rather well." He said the agency had explained to the population why was needed, "and so far, it's been working reasonably well." "The incline (in infection and death rates) in Sweden is less steep than in many countries and that's exactly what we're trying to achieve," Tegnell said, adding that opinion polls showed the Swedish public were overall in favor of the agency's approach. Life carries on Sweden has not completely diverged from the rest of Europe. In a similar way to its neighbors, Sweden's government has advocated working from home if at all possible, avoiding non-essential travel and the elderly are advised to avoid social contact. Of course, advice to wash hands regularly has also been promoted. Restaurants, bars, cafés and nightclubs have been told to offer seated table service only. And as of Sunday, gatherings of more than 50 people are banned (the country had initially suspended gatherings of more than 500 people). It has also closed universities and colleges, but schools with students under 16 years old remain open. As such, compared to elsewhere in Europe, life in Sweden feels eerily normal, residents say. https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/03/30/sweden- coronavirus-approach-is-very-different-from-the-rest-of-europe.html