The World Health Organization issued high praise for Sweden's response to the coronavirus, which largely resists shutdowns.

Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO's executive director for health emergencies, strongly defended the Nordic country after facing scrutiny from many academics for resisting stronger economic closures to mitigate the spread of the virus.

“I think there’s a perception out there that Sweden has not put in control measures and just has allowed the disease to spread,” Ryan said Wednesday. “Nothing can be further from the truth. Sweden has put in place a very strong public health policy around physical distancing, around caring and protecting for people in, in long-term facilities, and many other things.”

“What it has done differently is it has very much relied on its relationship with its citizenry, and the ability and willingness of citizens to implement physical distancing and to self-regulate, if you want to use that word,” Ryan continued.

He later described Swedens' public approach to the novel coronavirus as in "partnership with the population."

In Sweden, children are still able to attend school, and many businesses remain open, though it has suggested working remotely where possible and social distancing for at-risk patients. According to the latest readings of the Johns Hopkins University tracker, Sweden has just above 20,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 2,400 deaths.

Critics say the country's death rate, which is proportionately higher per every 100,000 citizens than its Scandinavian neighbors, can be attributed to its public health policies. More than 2,000 Swedish scientists signed a petition at the end of March calling for the country to strengthen social distancing protocols.

"The measures should aim to severely limit contact between people in society and to greatly increase the capacity to test people for Covid-19 infection. These measures must be in place as soon as possible, as is currently the case in our European neighboring countries," the scientists wrote. "Our country should not be an exception to the work to curb the pandemic."