Sweden registered 1,870 new COVID-19 cases on Oct. 23, new record high

The Health Agency has said the peak during the spring was probably much higher but not recorded due to lack of testing. Sweden's official death toll decreased with 15 cases since Friday, taking the total to 5,918 deaths.

Sweden, whose light-touch pandemic strategy has gained global attention, registered 1,870 new coronavirus cases on October 23, the highest since the start of the pandemic, Health Agency statistics showed on Tuesday. The increase compares with a high of 1,698 daily cases recorded in late June. The Health Agency has said the peak during the spring was probably much higher but not recorded due to lack of testing.

Sweden's official death toll decreased with 15 cases since Friday, taking the total to 5,918 deaths. No explanation was given for the decrease but the death count has previously been changed after the actual cause of death has been determined. Sweden's death rate per capita is several times higher than Nordic neighbours but lower than some larger European countries, such as Spain and Britain.

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