Photos of crowded cafes and parks show what life is like in Sweden, one of the only European countries not under strict lockdown during the coronavirus outbreak

The World Health Organization has also urged Sweden to take stricter actions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Despite criticism, Tengell believes an increase in infections in the short-term will avoid the possibility of a wave of new infections that could happen if the country imposed, then lifted, strict lockdown measures, he told the Associated Press.

Source: Associated Press

In an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz published last week, Tengell cited Swedish culture and traditions as the guiding principle behind Sweden's coronavirus response.

Source: Hareetz

"We prefer voluntary measures, and there is a high level of trust here between the population and the authorities, so we are able to avoid coercive restrictions," he said.

Source: Hareetz

Will the strategy work for Sweden? Only time will tell, according to Lars Ostergaard, chief consultant and professor at the Department of Infectious Diseases at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. "There is no right or wrong way," he told the Associated Press. "No one has walked this path before, and only the aftermath will show who made the best decision."

Source: Associated Press