Current as of 30 minutes ago...ABC report...arrogant populist pollies ignoring medical and scientific fact and advice with dire consequences for the population....
Swedish PM admits virus measures 'not good enough'
Sweden's relaxed policies that relied on individual responsibility may not have been the best course of action, Sweden's Prime Minister says.(AP: Fredrik Sandberg)
Sweden is something of an outlier in the Coronavirus pandemic, having taken a "flexible" approach to restricting movements within its borders, but its Prime Minister Stefan Löfven now says that wasn't good enough.
Mr Löfven has faced criticism over Sweden's lack of preparedness for a crisis of this nature, including its lack of emergency drug stockpiles.
The blame for this, however, lies on the shoulders of a string of governments, rather than just his own, Mr Löfven said.
"All parties have a responsibility in that, because [civil defence] was something that was phased out gradually after the Cold War, so that's three decades we're talking about," said Mr Löfven. "Since then, many governments have contributed to this."
Though some protections like social gathering limits of 50 people and a ban on visits to aged care facilities had been put in place when the severity and global impact of COVID-19 became apparent, the Government relied on citizens to choose to be responsible and allowed many businesses to continue operating.
The Government justified this unusually relaxed approach as an assurance for the future.
"We want measures that work in the long run, since this pandemic likely will continue for months," the Prime Minister's department said at the beginning of this month.
