Swedish Covid Strategy Has Nordic Neighbors Worried About Travel
Swedish Covid Strategy Has Nordic Neighbors Worried About Travel
(Bloomberg) --
Sweden’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has unnerved its neighbors, according to a YouGov poll.
Some 81% of Finns oppose letting Swedes in, the poll found. That percentage drops to 73% in Norway and 61% in Denmark.
“Sweden is unique among developed countries for not having instituted a coronavirus lockdown, and the consequently higher case rates are clearly making its neighbors nervous,” YouGov Denmark said in its release.
| % of Nordic country respondents in YouGov poll who oppose tourists from: | Germany | Italy | U.K. | China | U.S. | Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 50 | 68 | 62 | 77 | 79 | 81 |
| Norway | 53 | 67 | 67 | 73 | 77 | 73 |
| Denmark | 26 | 51 | 55 | 67 | 69 | 61 |
A majority of respondents from Germany also opposed allowing Swedes into the country this summer, although those polled in France, Italy and Spain were more welcoming.
Sweden opted against a full lockdown to fight Covid-19, choosing instead to encourage citizens to follow social distancing guidelines. The country’s Covid mortality rate -- roughly 54 per 100,000 -- is about five times that in Denmark and more than 10 times Norway’s, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
YouGov polled 12,079 people in selected European countries and the U.S. between June 29 and July 5. No margin of error was given.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.