ANKARA

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Sweden is "paying heavily" for not implementing mandatory quarantine measures like the rest of the world because of the coronavirus.

"As of today, 2462 people have died there, a much higher number than the neighboring countries of Norway (207), Finland (206) or Denmark (443)," Trump said on Twitter.

"The United States made the correct decision!," he added as he lauded his administration's handling of the virus while the US continues to be the worst-hit nation with the highest number of infections and deaths from COVID-19.

Trump's remarks came a day after the World Health Organization praised Sweden as a "model" for battling the virus and its Executive Director of Health Emergencies Program, Mike Ryan, saying there are "lessons to be learned" from the Scandinavian nation.

He said Sweden has "put in place a very strong public policy around social distancing, around caring and protecting people in long term care facilities."

"What it has done differently is it has very much relied on its relationship with its citizenry and the ability and willingness of its citizens to implement self-distancing and self-regulate," he said. "In that sense, they have implemented public policy through that partnership with the population."

With nearly 10.2 million people living there, Sweden has highest numbers for the virus in the region with 20,302 cases, 2,462 deaths and 1,005 recoveries, according to a running tally of the US-based Johns Hopkins University.