STOCKHOLM, Feb 9 — Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, has registered 8,112 new coronavirus cases since Friday, health agency statistics showed today.

The figure compared with 9,649 cases during the corresponding period last week.

The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 73 new deaths, taking the total to 12,188. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and sometimes weeks.

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