The country’s Public Health Authority is now publishing advice for aged care providers on testing, saying that it is needed to detect the virus easily and prevent its further spread.
The guidance recommends generous sampling, infection tracking, and screening of carers.
The announcement comes as the country’s Public Health Agency said it had recorded 4,395 COVID-19 deaths – 90% aged over 70.
75% of these deaths are reported to have been among residential care residents and home care recipients.
Sweden attracted a lot of media attention for its controversial approach to the pandemic, which involved keeping schools open for children under the age of 16, along with cafes, bars, restaurants and businesses, while encouraging people to maintain social distancing and hand hygiene.
Their death rate is now much higher than other Nordic countries, which imposed stricter lockdowns.
As we reported here, Sweden’s Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO) has already said it will investigate all 1,700 of its aged care homes amid concerns about the care provided to residents during the pandemic.
