Crowds in town worry: "People have relaxed"

"Avoid congestion" - it is one of the messages that has been repeated over and over again by the Public Health Authority in recent weeks.

But not everyone follows these recommendations.

The new square at Södermalm and Stureplan at Östermalm in Stockholm are just two of the places where congestion was reported during the weekend.

According to Anna Starbrink (L), she has had several conversations about the problem and also noted it herself.

- Yes, you see it when you are out and there is no problem that people go out. But you have to keep your distance. Some probably forget it, says Starbrink.

- Many people are social people and like to socialize. But now it's just that we have to follow these dull cues from the Public Health Authority, it's not that difficult, she continues.

The police in Södermalm also report congestion on the neighborhood's pubs this weekend.

"We could easily find that a number of taverns had far exceeded the recommended number of guests," police say on their Facebook page.

Restaurants risk losing their status if they do not follow the new rules on congestion, which say, among other things, that visitors should eat and drink while sitting at a table and keep a distance between each other.

Since April 7, the environmental management in Stockholm has made over 200 inspections of restaurants and taverns, where congestion and queuing systems in particular are examined. Of these, around 30 are comments, three of which are from Thursday.

Saturday's reports, however, have not been compiled in their entirety. But environmental management spokesman Peter Bratanmark says the development is going in the right direction.

- Yes, I think so. We have a good dialogue with most people and get a very positive response from the pubs, ”he says.

And the Stockholmers are not alone in being crowded. Even in Gothenburg, the environmental administration has inspected whether the guidelines of the Public Health Authority are being followed at the city's pubs. According to department head Angelica Winter, the results of the weekend's checks have been mixed.

- Many restaurant owners have adopted the regulations and want to do the right thing for themselves. But we have also seen shortcomings, says Winter.

She describes the weekend's inspections as an effort to inform and observe what the situation looks like. And Angelica Winter does not rule out that more inspections may follow in the future.

- It's very possible. It depends on the outcome, she says.