(Bloomberg) -- Sweden's government expects the pandemic to continue through 2021 even if vaccines become available, according to Dagens Nyheter.
“The pandemic will not go away just because we get a vaccine,” Elisabeth Backteman, the government's crisis coordinator, said in an interview with the newspaper.
Sweden's Covid-planning stretches into the spring of 2022, according to internal planning documents seen by DN.
The documents show that the government is open to the possibility of adding more restrictions, including quarantine-like measures, to stop regional cluster infections. Sweden is also looking into a pandemic bill, which may be passed by the summer of 2021 at the latest. Such legislation would allow the government to force restaurants and shops to close, DN said.
The report seen by DN lists the heightened risk of bankruptcies, rising unemployment and increased segregation following a resurgence of the virus. What's more, Sweden's defense capability might be affected by a severe outbreak, which could lead to “vulnerabilities that are exploited by foreign powers,” DN said.
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