Sweden also had 2000 citizens in Iran, about 50,000 in total abroad that had to return.
Not unlike the US in this respect.
Much of the international coverage was neutral, but some of it also contained criticism,[196] and in some cases was accused of being "fake news".[197] Many foreign news outlets described Sweden as pursuing a herd immunity strategy,[196] including US president Donald Trump, who in a press briefing told the assembled media that Sweden was 'suffering very greatly' due to what he referred to as 'the herd', and that the US, if it had not taken much stricter social distancing measures, 'would have lost hundreds of thousands more people'.[198][199] Responding partly to Trump's remarks, which she described by using the word ‘misinformation’, Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde said that the ‘so-called Swedish strategy’ was one of many myths about Sweden, and described it as ‘absolutely false’. Linde said that the Swedish goal was no different from most other countries; to save lives, hinder the spread of the virus and make the situation manageable for the health system.
It's been overblown - and you - led by the nose. NUMBERS need to be compared with what may have occurred had a different path been taken - not to neighbors numbers.
Bringing travelers home - and dealing with them upon return - may be your bugaboo (as it is in the US). Maybe Sweden could have done better in this respect. But as with the US, how this virus spreads was not fully known at the time travelers were returning.
Every country had travelers.
Taiwan had FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND in China.
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Neighbors' numbers when societies are similar are the
only valid comparisons.
And yes, one can estimate what else might have happened,
but you refuse to do that. "What would have happened if they did the same thing that the Norwegian nursing homes did?" Or the NH Veteran's Home did (where they have zero deaths or cases).
In Norway:
On 12 March, a national lockdown was announced, effective from 18:00 the same day. This was the day of their first death, as well. Also, everyone who had returned from trips outside Sweden and Finland since 27 February were to quarantine, regardless of whether they showed symptoms or not.
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In Sweden, their first death was Marth 11.
On 10 March, responding to indications of community transmission, the Public Health Agency advised everyone with respiratory infections, even mild cases, to refrain from social contacts where there is a risk of spreading the virus, in private as well as working life. They also ask health care staff working with risk groups, including nursing homes, not work if they have any symptoms of respiratory infection. Relatives of elderly should also avoid unnecessary visits at hospitals and in facilities for elderly, and never visit if there are any respiratory symptoms.[57][58] On 16 March, the agency recommended that people over 70 should limit close contact with other people, and employers should recommend their employees work from home.[59] One month later, statistics showed that roughly half the Swedish workforce was now working from home.[60] The following day, the agency recommended that secondary schools and universities use distance learning,[61] with schools following suit all over the country.[62][/size]
Wikipedia.
No quarantining for people returning from overseas. Distance learning in mid-April became a thing, for some place. But even some of the recommendations took longer.
Bars remained open.
You want to do "what if?" about it, Kid, knock yourself out. But do try to be honest with yourself for a change.
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You've only change to the "don't compare numbers with neighbors" bullshit because the numbers you kept trying to compare ("fewer tests," for example) didn't work. If the numbers were in your favor, you would keep trotting them out the same way you kept bringing out the French sham study on hydroxychloroquine.
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