Sweden registers 7,158 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths on Thursday

Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, registered 7,158 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, health agency statistics showed.

The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 2 new deaths, taking the total to 14,002. 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 neighbours' but lower than in most European countries that opted for lockdowns.