Original sentence: On 18 December 2020, Stefan Löfven, the prime minister of Sweden, announced new and tougher restrictions and recommendations including the use of face masks in public transportation, closure of all non-essential public services (like swimming pools and museums).This approach has been a divisive topic of debate, receiving significant criticism both domestically and internationally, and with those who oppose social distancing often citing the Swedish response as an example.Unlike most countries, which strongly recommended or introduced widespread sector closures, quarantining, and lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019, the government of Sweden took a more lenient approach to the pandemic, prioritizing the economy and only pursuing social distancing measures such as bans on large gatherings and limited travel restrictions
Edited sentence: However unlike most countries, which strongly recommended or introduced widespread sector closures, quarantining, and lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019, the government of Sweden took a more lenient approach to the pandemic, prioritizing the economy and only pursuing social distancing measures such as bans on large gatherings and limited travel restrictions.On 18 December 2020, Stefan Löfven, the prime minister of Sweden at the time, announced new and tougher restrictions and recommendations including the use of face masks in public transportation, closure of all non-essential public services (like swimming pools and museums).Sweden has performed reasonably well in keeping Covid deaths down, with a comparatively low excess mortality during the pandemic and the 57th highest Covid death rate in the world and 29th highest out of 47 countries in Europe at the start of 2022.This approach has been a divisive topic of debate, receiving significant criticism both domestically and internationally, and with those who oppose lockdowns often citing the Swedish outcome as an example