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Swedish king says 'we have failed' over COVID-19, as deaths mount
CGTN
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (2nd R) and his wife Iriana (1st R) show a Bogor botanical garden to Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav (2nd L) and Queen Silvia during their visit in Bogor, West Java province, Indonesia, May 22, 2017. /Xinhua

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (2nd R) and his wife Iriana (1st R) show a Bogor botanical garden to Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav (2nd L) and Queen Silvia during their visit in Bogor, West Java province, Indonesia, May 22, 2017. /Xinhua

Sweden's king said his country had failed in its handling of COVID-19, in a sharp criticism of a pandemic policy partly blamed for a high death toll among the elderly.

Carl XVI Gustaf, whose son and daughter-in-law tested positive last month, used an annual royal Christmas TV special to highlight the growing impact of the virus, in a rare intervention from a monarch whose duties are largely ceremonial.

Sweden has stood out from most countries by shunning lockdowns and face masks, leaving schools, restaurants and businesses largely open and relying mainly on voluntary social distancing and hygiene recommendations to slow the spread.

An official commission said on Tuesday systemic shortcomings in elderly care coupled with inadequate measures from the government and agencies contributed to Sweden’s particularly high death toll in nursing homes.

Sweden has registered more than 7,800 deaths, a much higher per capita rate than its Nordic neighbours but lower than in Britain, Italy, Spain or France.

(With input from agencies)

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