The death rate among Swedish Jews is 14 times higher than that of the general population, comprising 2.7% of the almost 400 people in Sweden who have died as a result of the coronavirus, a JTA report said on Motzei Shabbos.

The Jewish community in Sweden numbers about 20,000 Jews, about 0.19% of Sweden’s population of about 10 million.

Aron Szugalski Verständig, president of the Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, said he is unaware of any explanation for the disproportionately high death rate in the Jewish community, saying that the victims, most of whom were older than 80 and many whom were Holocaust survivors, contracted the virus independently of each other.

Sweden is currently the European country with the loosest coronavirus restrictions. Although the government did take some precautions such as recommending that citizens observe social distancing, non-essential businesses are still open including bars, restaurants, gyms and beauty parlors. Even elementary schools are still open although high schools did close last week.

The government has recently banned crowds of over 50 people, reducing the limit from the previous number of 500, and has instructed senior citizens and those with preexisting health conditions to stay at home.

Sweden’s policy is similar to that of England two weeks ago but whereas England quickly backtracked on its policy when it understood the staggering amount of estimated fatalities that would take place, Sweden persisted in its policy, with experts claiming that there is little connection between closed schools and borders and medical safety. The policy has widespread support from the Swedish public who apparently trust the experts.

Other Swedish experts disagree with the government’s policy, fearing that it is based on the opinions of experts used to drawing conclusions from evidence-based research, which in the case of the coronavirus in largely unavailable and unreliable and bemoaning the  high toll of deaths it may incur. The government is also apparently beginning to rethink its policy, with a news report on Sunday saying that the government is advancing a proposal to increase its power to impose emergency measures without the approval of parliament.

A tragic twist to the dilemma is that despite Sweden’s reluctance to impose a lockdown due to fear of the economic consequences, the fact that most of the world is in lockdown had already made inroads into the Swedish economy, which is showing signs of sinking into a severe recession.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)