Swedish authorities implemented new coronavirus restrictions Wednesday amid a spike in cases in the country, where officials had declined to impose strict lockdowns in the spring like had many of their European neighbors. Throughout the pandemic, Swedish officials have largely backed the idea that people could be trusted to make the right choices to limit the spread of the virus. “All the indicators point in the wrong direction,” Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told reporters Wednesday. But authorities in Stockholm also implemented new restrictions on nursing homes in the capital region Wednesday. Elder-care facilities suffered immensely during the first months of the outbreak, with nearly half of people who died of the virus by May identified as residents of assisted-living facilities.
