STOCKHOLM - The scene at Norrsken House Stockholm, a coworking space, oozed with radical normalcy: Young, turtleneck-wearing hipsters schmoozed in the coffee corner. Others chatted freely, at times quite near one another, in cozy conference rooms. Face masks were nowhere to be seen.
It was an approach that transformed Sweden into an unlikely ideological lightning rod. Many scientists blamed it for a spike in deaths, even as many libertarians critical of lockdowns portrayed Sweden as a model. Now, though, the question is whether the country's current low caseload, compared with sharp increases elsewhere, shows that it has found a sustainable balance, something that all Western countries are seeking eight months into the pandemic - or whether the recent numbers are just a temporary aberration.
Sweden is also doing far better, for the moment, than Spain, with 10,000 cases a day, and France, with 12,000. In early September, 1.2 per cent of tests in Sweden were positive, compared with about 7% currently in Northwest England, Britain's hardest-hit area. Back in the spring, when other nations were clamping down, Sweden was often vilified for having gone its own way. Its borders stayed open, as did bars, restaurants and schools. Hairdressers, yoga studios, gyms and even some cinemas remained open, as did public transportation and parks.
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