The second wave of Covid-19 infections that has hit Sweden could peak in mid-December, Reuters quoted health officials as saying on Thursday, stressing developments will depend on how well the public follows social distancing advice.

New infections have hit record levels in recent weeks after a lull in the summer, throwing the country’s light-touch approach to fighting the pandemic into renewed focus.

In total, 6,622 people with Covid-19 have died in Sweden, a per capita total vastly higher than neighbours Norway, Denmark and Finland, which opted for stricter lockdowns during the spring, but lower than a handful of larger European nations.

Tougher restrictions in place since mid-October, however, may have helped slow the spread of the disease with the Public Health Agency saying infections could peak in the coming weeks.