A Taxi Stockholm driver returns PCR tests for processing after collecting them from people who suspect they have Covid-19, on December 4, 2020 in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden. — AFP pic

STOCKHOLM, Dec 16 — Sweden, whose soft-touch pandemic response has placed it in the global spotlight, today registered 7,556 new coronavirus cases, Health Agency statistics showed.

The increase compared with a high of 7,935 new cases recorded last week.

Sweden registered 135 new deaths, taking the total to 7,802.

Sweden’s death rate per capita is several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours, but lower than several European countries that opted for lockdowns. — Reuters