Sweden's COVID response was flawed but allowed freedoms - commission

Sweden should have shut venues and taken other tougher measures early in the COVID-19 pandemic, though its no-lockdown strategy was broadly beneficial, a commission said on Friday. Sweden polarised opinion at home and abroad when it chose not to follow most of the rest of the world in ordering lockdowns and adopted a largely voluntary approach of promoting social distancing and good hygiene. The commission - set up by the government under pressure from parliament - said Sweden's broad policy was 'fundamentally correct'.