Therefore, Sweden cannot issue a curfew

Some restrictions have also been introduced in Sweden and legislative changes have been made to, for example, close schools.

But the Swedish key words are still freedom under responsibility.

One explanation for this is found in our law system - our right to move is namely constitutionally protected.

Thus, a general curfew is not possible under Swedish law.

Our constitution, the form of government, puts a stop to restrictions on freedom of movement without the support of law.

- According to the preliminary work on the form of government, this means that special legislation is needed to prohibit moving freely in a "certain country end" or to visit other parts of the country. There is also a prohibition on restricting citizens' right to leave their place of residence, barring large areas such as border zones and parts of the archipelago, says Titti Mattsson, a professor of public law at Lund University.

What can be done with support in law is to put individuals who have been infected or exposed to quarantine. Then they must neither leave nor receive visits.

It is also possible to delineate a certain area, which is sometimes incorrectly referred to as quarantining an area, if there is a suspicion that a socially dangerous infection has spread there.

- In principle, it is possible to delineate a certain geographical area in Sweden, but then there is a need for reasonable reasons for it, says Titti Mattsson.

The Infection Protection Act can therefore limit freedom of movement if the purpose is to prevent the spread of an infectious substance.

- However, the Infection Protection Act is not clear about how large these areas can be allowed to be, says Titti Mattsson.

When the Public Health Agency's lawyers investigated the possibility of measures based on the Infection Protection Act, they concluded that, in addition to being able to quarantine individuals, they can only block off smaller areas.

"It is probably a house, a school or similar," says state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell.

He also believes that it is beyond both his and the Public Health Authority's legal competence what type of legislation is required to announce similar state of emergency as in other countries.

Sweden has not been in a war or crisis situation for a very long time and therefore has no such exception legislation.

However, such a measure should only be implemented when it is really needed and can have effects, something Anders Tegnell and Titti Mattsson agree.

- It should also be proportionate to the negative effects, says Titti Mattsson.

Anders Tegnell believes that Sweden's slightly calmer line is due to the need for sustainability in what measures are added.

- We are talking about something that will continue for a number of months to come and then you cannot do things that people do not endure, he says.

Both Anders Tegnell and Titti Mattsson are uncertain about the reasonableness of delimiting Stockholm for example.

- No, that's not our assessment. We work with these basic things, namely getting people to stay home when they are sick, protecting the elderly in every way and keeping health care going, says Anders Tegnell.

Nor does Titti Mattsson see any immediate need for a change of law. She believes that in a disaster situation, of course, it is easy to take drastic and major measures.

- I think it's important to think that we have a day to come, and then we'll look in the rear-view mirror to see if we really lived up to the fundamental freedoms and rights that we still cherish so much in our society, she says.