The 77 new deaths - down from 106 yesterday - bring the total from 793 to 870, according to figures from Sweden's public health agency. 

The number of confirmed infections went up by 544, a drop of nearly a quarter from yesterday's near-record figure of 722. 

It takes the total number of cases from 9,141 to 9,685. 

More than 4,000 of the country's 9,685 confirmed cases are in the Stockholm area, according to official figures.  

The government has also carried out random sampling which suggests that as many as 2.5 per cent of people in Stockholm have been infected. 

That implies a higher figure of around 60,000 in the Stockholm region, suggesting that many people have had the virus without being added to the official count. 

Unlike most of Europe, Sweden has not imposed a lockdown, and primary schools, shops, cafes, restaurants and bars remain open.

People are not generally ordered to stay at home, although they are told to isolate at the first sign of 'slight cold-like symptoms'. 

Swedes are advised to 'keep your distance' at gyms and sports facilities rather than avoiding them altogether.