Sweden's expert criticises inclusion on WHO list

Tegnell told Swedish radio on Friday: “This is unfortunately a total misjudgment of the Swedish data.” A report by the WHO's Europe office on Thursday named 11 countries, including Sweden, Armenia, Albania, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Sweden has seen a steep rise in the number of COVID19 cases but this has been attributed to an increase in testing.

Sweden's chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has lashed out at the World Health Organization, calling it "a total mistake" to put his nation on a list of countries where "accelerated transmission" could overwhelm health systems. Tegnell told Swedish radio on Friday: “This is unfortunately a total misjudgment of the Swedish data.” A report by the WHO's Europe office on Thursday named 11 countries, including Sweden, Armenia, Albania, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

Sweden has seen a steep rise in the number of COVID19 cases but this has been attributed to an increase in testing. Tegnell said: “We can point at all other parameters we measure, i.e. how many serious cases we have, they are decreasing. The number of admissions into intensive care is at a very low level and even deaths are starting to decline.” Sweden has repeatedly defended its strategy by explaining it defers little to other countries despite having never imposed a lockdown. Large gatherings are banned but restaurants and schools for young children have stayed open. The government urged social distancing, and Swedes have largely complied.