Sweden saw an increase of nearly 200 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, reaching 1,623 in total, the Public Health Agency of Sweden said on Friday, adding that 16 patients had died
STOCKHOLM (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th March, 2020) Sweden saw an increase of nearly 200 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, reaching 1,623 in total, the Public Health Agency of Sweden said on Friday, adding that 16 patients had died.
"As of today, we have 1,623 patients, 16 of whom had a fatal outcome," said Johan Carlson, head of the agency.
He added that the deceased were all elderly, and reiterated the call for the elderly and vulnerable to remain indoors. However, Carlson said that the agency had decided against recommending that schools and pre-schools be closed.
Earlier, the Public Health Agency said it would prioritize COVID-19 testing for the elderly and health care workers and did not rule out the possibility that the number of cases may be much higher.
Sweden has had its borders closed to foreigners since Thursday and ordered all higher education classes to be transferred online. At the same time, the government has refrained from imposing a nationwide lockdown.
