Sweden’s king says coronavirus response failed

In his annual Christmas address on Thursday, King Carl XVI Gustaf said the people of Sweden suffered difficult conditions due to the country’s pandemic response. The country of 10 million people never imposed a full lockdown or a formal mask mandate. Sweden has recorded more than 357,000 infections and more than 7,800 deaths. An independent commission on Tuesday concluded authorities were unprepared to handle COVID-19. “I think we have failed,” the king said.

How are other countries handling the pandemic? The Australian city of Sydney on Wednesday recorded its first local transmission after 12 consecutive days. South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency recorded 22 deaths on Thursday, its deadliest day since the pandemic began. In Japan, Tokyo’s Gov. Yuriko Koike announced “a special coronavirus alert” as daily infections in the capital city rose to 822.

Dig deeper: Read my World Tour report on how European nations prepare for the holidays with coronavirus