The overall Public Health response to COVID-19 in Sweden was based on a tradition of voluntary measures that emphasize individual responsibility and mutual trust. Recommendations included staying at home if presenting with symptoms, good hygiene, physical distancing, and avoiding unnecessary travel. People aged 70 or over were asked to avoid all close contacts and to stay away from places where people gathered. There were some legally binding rules including a ban large public gatherings, distance learning in secondary schools and universities and restrictions on visiting in care homes (Szebehely, 2020 and Kavaliunas et al., 2020).

Despite the government stressing the importance of protecting older people, initially there were no specific measures for care home residents (see section 3.00).

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