Lockdown, what lockdown? Sweden's unusual response to coronavirus
Stockholm Business Region, a state-funded company that supports the city's global business community, estimates that rises to at least 90% in the capital's largest firms, thanks to a tech-savvy workforce and a business culture that has long promoted flexible and remote working practices.
There are more guidelines than strict rules, with a focus on staying home if you're sick or elderly, washing your hands, and avoiding any non-essential travel, as well as working from home."We who are adults need to be exactly that: adults. Not spread panic or rumours," Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said in a televised address to the nation last weekend.A majority of Swedes watched and approved of his speech, according to a nationwide survey for Novus, a major polling company.
"We have to combine looking at minimising the health effects of the virus outbreak and the economic impacts of this health crisis," says Andreas Hatzigeorgiou, CEO at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. She's calling for"clearer instructions" for people on how they should interact in public places such as shops and gyms.And while business is ticking over for some, others are struggling. Around the corner from Mariatorget's busy bars, popular hipster barber shop Honest Al's has seen customer numbers plummet, despite efforts to improve safety by staggering staffing and appointments.
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