Denmark is roughly the same, culturally and regarding worker's rights, yet had a very strong response from around 12 March.
So, all the Swedish jokes about Denmark are wrong? ;)
> yet had a very strong response from around 12 March.
I think that Sweden is in the wrong not taking it more seriously.
My point is that it is going to take some time until numbers show the mistake. I expect the initial curve to be less pronounced than in Mediterranean countries. Once reached a critical point, that difference does not matter, thou. To double the number of cases each three days or two days, even being a big difference, will still overflow hospital capacity.
Sweden has stayed consistent with what experts have been saying. There's no use in closing the borders when the virus is already in the country.
Same thing with outlawing movement in and out of Stockholm. There's already a very clear recommendation and instruction to avoid travel within the country to avoid spreading the virus. There's no real way of enforcing a full quarantine unless you divert police officers who could be doing other things, or the military which we are reluctant to do (see Ådalen 1931, which is a reason why you don't want armed military to interact with citizens).
Letting up to 499 people gather freely is not what experts will tell you is the way to stop this, so clearly they have not. If anything Sweden is among those that have listened least to medical experts. Norway and Denmark is following the advice much closer, closing borders or not.