Tegnell: Released restrictions may be behind the increase in infection

The spread of infection in Catalonia and Galicia in Spain, among others, has increased. In Belgium, new restrictions have been introduced after the country registered a large increase in the number of infected, Reuters reports.

The fact that countries in Europe have opened up after being shut down in the past may be one reason why the spread of infection is increasing in parts of Europe, according to state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell.

He points out that in Stockholm it took four to six weeks between the sports holiday in Stockholm and the time when the epidemic started properly in the capital.

- Many thought that the increase would come one or two weeks after restrictions were eased, but that has not been the case. Therefore, it is not entirely unreasonable that this is still quite strongly linked to the fact that the shutdown has been released, says Anders Tegnell.

However, he does not want to see it as proof that Sweden has chosen the right strategy.

- We are all trying to find a model to reduce the harmful effects of this disease as much as possible. That we do it in different ways has nothing to do with any competition between countries, but that we have different conditions.

In Spain, for example, regional authorities have taken measures to reduce the spread of infection, despite the fact that the country has previously eased the stricter restrictions that were introduced early in the pandemic.

- I do not know if it is so consistent everywhere, but it seems to be the general trend to do so when the spread increases again. That is what we have always tried to avoid. It is very difficult for a society both when you open and close. It has a lot of consequences every time you change.

It is too early to say whether the outbreaks in Europe are a so-called "second wave", says the state epidemiologist.

- Some countries have really local outbreaks, such as the outbreak at slaughterhouses in Germany for example. In other countries, Belgium seems to be one of them, one sees a more general increase that is not so focused on a particular area. So it's hard to say whether this will really be called a second wave, or if this is more an aftermath of the first, he says.