Swedish pictures
It's a bit of a strange feeling to be in a foreign country now, when at home (meaning both in the Czech Republic and in the European Union) there is a fierce controversy about the appropriateness or danger of travel. The possibility of closing the borders of individual Member States so that it is impossible to migrate freely, despite the institution of freedom of movement being in force in normal times, is being intensely debated. There are even proposals for curfews in various regimes, and the example given is Israel, where very strict restrictions have brought about an improvement in the numbers monitored statistically. In my current place of work, Karlstad in Sweden, the situation is a little different from ours. Everything is open, including restaurants, shops and gyms. Pale Nordic faces are not covered by veils, but there is a natural effort to keep a slight distance from strangers. In passing, this trend was confirmed by a Swedish radio editor who, when taking a documentary photo for a radio stream, asked us to keep at least a metre apart to set a good example for the public. Disinfection is ubiquitous, and printed instructions with pictures have enriched shop windows, notice boards and entrance doors of various establishments. Sweden in general has taken a different and long-term approach to dealing with the pandemic than we have. Despite the obvious mistakes, among which local decision-makers count, above all, the lack of health protection for the most vulnerable groups of citizens at the beginning of the pandemic, the Swedes, and Scandinavians in general, are doing their best to ensure that the economy is not destroyed and that life today is as close to normal as they know it. Comparisons with the Czech Republic may be possible, especially because the population of the two countries is almost identical, but since the statistical basis may differ in the setting of the parameters, such a procedure is not a good idea. Neither is looking for differences and similarities. It is not a competition. We all want and can win. We and the Swedes. And no one has to lose.
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