Sweden registers 7,772 new COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths on Friday

Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, registered 7,772 new coronavirus cases on Friday, health agency statistics showed.

The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 26 new deaths, taking the total to 13,621. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and sometimes weeks.

Sweden's death rate per capita is many times higher than that of its Nordic neighbors' but lower than in most European countries that opted for lockdowns.