So, What’s Up With Sweden?

The country is taking a controversial approach to containing the coronavirus

Sweden is forgoing lockdowns and taking an alternative approach to preventing the spread of the coronavirus. The government is advising people to follow social distancing recommendations, but schools, gyms, and restaurants remain open. It’s unclear how it will work, but the country is in the spotlight since mass closures have taken hits on economies worldwide.

“Part of that approach relies on having access to one of the world’s best-functioning health-care systems,” Bloomberg News reports. “At no stage did Sweden see a real shortage of medical equipment or hospital capacity, and tents set up as emergency care facilities around the country have mostly remained empty.”

As of Monday afternoon, the country has 14,777 confirmed cases and 1,580 deaths. These are much higher figures than those of their neighbors (Norway has 7,122 cases and 181 deaths; Denmark has 7,711 cases and 364 deaths; and Finland has 3,868 cases and 98 deaths), but lower than other European countries.

As Bloomberg reports, the country might be more well suited than others for this approach in part because of its strong medical system, the fact that more people already work from home compared to other countries in Europe, and widespread access to the internet.

However, as The Guardian reported on Sunday, critics say the country’s elderly are paying the price. Most of the…