Sweden extends pandemic curbs by two weeks

Sweden will extend its current pandemic measures by another two weeks, the minister for health said on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant is spreading at record speed. The spread has put strain on the healthcare system but much less than during previous waves.

Sweden will extend its current pandemic measures by another two weeks, the minister for health said on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant is spreading at record speed. The curbs mean bars and restaurants have to close at 2300 and there is a cap of 500 people inside larger indoor venues.

"We have an extremely high level of spread," Health Minister Lena Hallengren told a news conference. Sweden has seen some 270,000 confirmed cases in the last week, despite limited testing. The spread has put a strain on the healthcare system but much less than during previous waves.