After data analysis, Swedish authorities feel Stockholm may have passed 'coronavirus peak'

Swedish authorities said on Tuesday that the country's capital Stockholm may have passed the coronavirus infection "peak".

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"According to this model the peak was reached then and after that we can expect fewer cases per day, but that doesn't mean the infection stops," Anders Wallensten, deputy state epidemiologist said on Tuesday.

Sweden has over 15,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with 6,200 infection cases in capital Stockholm. According to reports, Stockholm accounts for over 40 per cent of cases in the country.

The country's health agency in a report said 86,000 of Stockholm's one million residents had the virus on April 15. According to the modelling data, the officials assumed only about one in 1,000 cases were confirmed via testing with the model set to become more accurate as more data is fed into it after more tests.

A report had claimed last week that showed that some poorer neighborhoods in the capital had up to three times as many COVID-19 cases per capita. However, the country hasn't imposed harsh lockdown measures like elsewhere in Europe, instead, it has relied on people taking responsibility and practicing social distancing.

Sweden's parliament last week had passed a new law granting the government temporary powers to adopt measures aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. The measures included the Social Democrat-led government to take steps without prior approval of parliament which included shutting businesses and limiting gatherings.

The new powers which have come into force on April 18 will last until end June.

The government has already banned gatherings of more than 50 people and barred visits to nursing homes.