Sweden has joined the list of countries that have decided to lift COVID-19 restrictions. The Swedish authorities have announced that most of the COVID-19 restrictions, which have been in force until now, will be lifted on 9 February.
The Swedish Public Health Agency has assessed that the Omicron variant does not lead to serious complications, as the previous variants did. For this reason, the requirement to present the vaccination certificate and other measures will be raised.
"The phasing out of measures in response to COVID-19 will begin on February 9, 2022. From that date, measures such as the limit on attendance at meetings and public events and the possibility of requesting vaccination certificates at the entrance will be eliminated." said the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.
According to the Ministry, COVID-19 measures will be lifted in two stages. Restrictions on the first stage will be lifted on 9 February, while the second stage will start on 1 April.
In the first stage, Sweden will lift the requirement to present a vaccination certificate when entering various locations, including public events, bars, restaurants, shopping malls and public transport.
This means that tourists and citizens of the country will be allowed unrestricted access to most public places from 9 February.
Other restrictions will also be lifted next week. Public gatherings, catering establishments (restaurants and bars) and shopping malls will no longer have a restricted number of people allowed in one area at a time.
In addition, the requirement for all passengers to be seated while on public transport will also be raised. Advice against tournaments, competitions and other social gatherings will also be removed.
The rest of the restrictions are expected to be lifted on April 1, provided the country does not record high rates of COVID-19 infection and hospitalizations. However, it was emphasized that the vaccination recommendation would remain in force.
Despite the fact that the restrictions will be lifted, the authorities have recommended that everyone over the age of 12 be vaccinated as soon as possible in order to avoid possible future inconveniences.