Yahoo Finance Sweden faces pre-Christmas pandemic peak as economy bounces back
Sweden's current coronavirus outbreak could reach its peak before Christmas.
The Scandinavian nation, which stood apart from many European neighbours by not enforcing a nationwide lockdown, is now battling a second coronavirus wave which may peak in mid-December.
The scenario is based on the number of reported COVID-19 cases between 24 August and 6 November and outlines how the virus may spread from now until March.
The news comes as Sweden also announced that its economy had rebounded more quickly that first thought from the impact of the pandemic.
According to the country’s Public Health Agency director, Johan Carlson, the data suggests one scenario is that the outbreak will peak in mid-December.
He told a press conference the prediction was “a scenario, not a prognosis”, according to local reports, and added that the model was based on Swedes following the current government recommendations which include social distancing and avoiding crowds, and limiting close contacts to people in their own household.
Sweden has stood apart from many of its European neighbours in its approach to tackling the coronavirus pandemic, and never enforced a nationwide lockdown.
Relative to the size of its population - around 10 million - Sweden has suffered many times more COVID-19 deaths than its Nordic neighbours, though not quite as many as Europe's worst-hit nations, such as Spain and the UK.
Watch: Sweden’s ‘corona cabbies’ in testing driving seat
However, a second wave has been sweeping the Scandinavian nation and authorities have imposed much more stringent restrictions on citizens in the past month.
A total of 236,355 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Sweden to date. There have been 6,622 deaths as a result of the virus.
Sweden has banned public events of more than eight people, but the government has said that this is expected to set a standard for all social situations, whether or not such social situations are covered by the law.
However, despite facing a new challenge in tackling the pandemic, Sweden’s Statistics Office has revealed that the country’s economy is suffering less than originally thought.
Manufacturing has led the bounce back from a record dip due to the coronavirus pandemic, data showed on Friday.
Gross domestic product was upwardly revised to growth of 4.9% in the third quarter from the previous three month period and revised up to 2.5% contraction from a year earlier.
A preliminary reading had shown the economy grew 4.3% in the quarter, although it contracted 3.5% on an annual basis.
Growth was driven by household consumption and export of manufactured goods, the statistics office said, evidence that the lack of lockdown ensured the economy could fare better than many in Europe.
But there are concerns that the recovery could stall as a result of the second wave.
Swedish bank Swedbank said on Friday: "Going forward, we forecast a slight drop in growth for Q4.
"The recovery will be bumpy and there is a great deal of uncertainty."
Watch: How England's new three-tier COVID system will work
