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Britain is not taking a Swedish approach to COVID-19, minister says

FILE PHOTO: British FM Raab meets with Palestinian PM Shtayyeh in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is not taking a Swedish approach to COVID-19 said foreign minister Dominic Raab when asked if new measures were part of a plan to live with the virus, rather than try to get rid of it.

"I don't accept that characterisation," Raab told BBC Radio when asked if Britain was now taking a more Swedish approach.

Earlier this year, Sweden avoided a lockdown and instead emphasized personal responsibility, social distancing and good hygiene in a bid to slow rather than eradicate a disease deemed here to stay.

Britain announced new measures on Tuesday to try to control the rapid spread of the virus, but those restrictions have been criticised by some scientists for not going far enough.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by James Davey)