Several regions report an increase in the number of positive test results in the last week, and in the last two weeks alone, 545 out of 100,000 people have been found to be infected with the coronavirus.
- It is a very high figure. The gradual rise that we have had for a number of weeks continues, at a slow pace.
It is not good at all when we are already at high levels, says state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell during Tuesday's press conference.
"A clear reduction"
But at the same time as the spread of infection is increasing, the number of deaths in the country continues to fall.
- We see a clear reduction in the number of deaths that increases week by week.
It is with high certainty an effect of the very focused vaccination program that we have had, says Anders Tegnell.
"Seems to be the completely dominant variant"
One explanation for the increased spread of infection may be the spread of the British variant of the virus.
- The virus variants have continued to increase, especially the one that was originally found in the UK, which now seems to be the one that becomes the completely dominant variant, not only in Sweden, but in large parts of Europe, says Anders Tegnell.
- Thirteen regions already have more than 50 percent of this variant.
Everything suggests that it is this variant we will have to live with for a while to come.