Sweden's Prime Minister has ordered a public inquiry into the country's handling of the coronavirus crisis amid rising criticism of its soft approach to lockdown, the Mail Online says.

More than 5,300 Swedes have died compared to around 250 in Norway, 600 in Denmark and 325 in Finland, all of which have populations around half the size.

Sweden, unlike the rest of Scandinavia, chose not to close restaurants, bars, schools and shops to fight the spread of the virus.

"It is not a question of whether Sweden is going to change as a result of this - the question is how," Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told a news conference on Tuesday, June 30.

The commission has a broad mandate to look at how the virus arrived in Sweden, how it spread, the government's and other authorities' response, and the effect on equality.

Sweden's response to the virus outbreak, which has relied mainly on voluntary measures and common sense hygiene rules, has led to its being snubbed by its neighbours and other countries in Europe that have kept their borders shut to Swedish tourists.