Sweden to further ease Covid-19 restrictions

"As from Thursday (July 1), life will begin to resemble what it was like before the pandemic," Minister for Health and Social Affairs Lena Hallengren said at a press conference. 

Crowds of up to 50 -- 300 if there are dedicated seats -- will be allowed to attend indoor sport and culture events. Outdoors, the new ceiling will be 600 (3,000 with dedicated seats). Even more spectators may be allowed should the venue have several sections, each with its own entry point, and where the spectators can keep a transmission-safe distance, the Xinhua news agency reported. 

The relaxed rules also allow for venues to be rented out for private functions with up to 50 participants. 

Curfews on bars and restaurants will also be lifted, although the number of guests will be restricted to eight per table indoors. 

A plan to allow long-distance bus and train companies to operate at full capacity from July 15 was also announced by Hallengren, who is in effect minister in a transitional government following Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's resignation only hours earlier after losing a no-confidence vote last week. 

The announcement was made as the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care and that of coronavirus-related deaths have decreased considerably lately in the country. 

However, on June 23, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued a warning that the Delta variant of Covid-19 first identified in India was spreading at an alarming rate in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/EEA).