The government wants to ease the ban on public gatherings and public events with more than 50 people for events with seating. However, they must be carried out in an infection-proof manner and with a higher upper participant limit.

The proposal also means that restaurants that have, for example, concerts should be exempted from the ban on more than 50 participants. However, they must continue to comply with the temporary law on infection control measures at places of service.

However, the police point to problems with changing the rules for some events, but not for others. In its response to the consultation, it is written that the government's proposal entails easing the ban on a maximum of 50 participants for a large number of events such as concerts, theaters and dance performances. But not for others.

The police point out, for example, that there will be relief for dance performances in restaurants, but not for exercise races in the woods, which is considered to be difficult to understand.

The response to the consultation also questions whether the number of participants in demonstrations should be regulated more strictly than dance performances in restaurants. For demonstrations, the ban for more than 50 participants will continue to apply.

The police warn that the regulations regarding different types of events risk becoming complicated and difficult to apply.

When it comes to allowing larger audiences at events with seats, the authority writes that it does not have legal opportunities to set conditions on how the organizer should create conditions for the participants to keep their distance from each other. This can, for example, be about when the audience comes or goes or about clear distance markings at the seats.

The response to the consultation states that in the vast majority of cases the police will not be able to supervise the gatherings and events.

It warns that the proposal risks leading to a loss of confidence in the police as it "lacks both resources and authority and competence to live up to the requirements imposed on the Police Authority in the referred proposal".

Instead, the police want a general gradual increase in the permitted number of participants.

In its response to the consultation yesterday, the Swedish Public Health Agency opened up the possibility of easing the ceiling for public gatherings to 500 people for certain events. The distance between people must then be at least one meter.

CLIP: FHM's new message to sports: Can let in 500 people (27 August 2020)

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