Klarna’s CEO and co-founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski has been diagnosed with the coronavirus and now urges the Swedish government to step up its fight against the pandemic.
“My turn, Covid confirmed,” Siemiatkowski tweeted on February 10. “Has been mild to me, confirmed yesterday but on my [fifth] day. Reminds you again of all the ones it has not been mild too. Wish Swedish government could really take on this vaccine challenge with all creativity and focus.”
The nation’s response has been hailed in the past by people celebrating it for its soft approach, which enabled most of the economy to stay open whereas other countries went into lockdown.
Sweden’s response to the pandemic has since lost some of its shine as the contagion worsened over the year.
As the death toll rose, Sweden has tightened its previous light-touch approach and introduced tougher restrictions at the end of 2020.
The tighter restrictions include a ban on alcohol sales after 8pm, introductions of capacity limits in stores, the closure of entertainment venues such as cinemas and theatres, and introducing mask recommendations on public traffic during rush hour. It also allowed schools to teach seventh to ninth graders online.
So far, 75% of those living in nursing homes have been vaccinated, Sveriges Radio reports.
Klarna recently held the title of being named Europe’s most valuable privately-owned FinTech for a few short months after it achieved a valuation close to $11bn after a $650m funding round in September.
Checkout.com claimed the title in January after closing a $450m Series C funding round at a $15bn valuation.
Siemiatkowski has recently hinted that Klarna may soon go public. The recent naming of venture capital firm Sequoia Capital’s Michael Moritz as the company’s new chairman and board members is seen as a big push towards that goal.
Copyright © 2021 FinTech Global
