Here’s our evening round-up of the latest coronavirus news from Finland:
- 1,446 confirmed cases / 17 deaths reported;
- Government promises to double the number of daily Covid-19 tests;
- Police say beware of coronavirus scammers
- President’s Kultaranta summer discussions to go virtual
- EK warns of wave of bankruptcies and redundancies
- Helsinki Biennial arts festival postponed
- Red Cross opens a new helpline
Latest coronavirus figures for Finland
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL says there have been 1,446 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Finland. That’s up 62 from the day before. There have also been 17 patients who died - that number is unchanged from 24 hours previously.
Although THL says that most cases of Covid-19 in Finland have been mild, there are currently 159 patients being treated in hospital - 62 of them in intensive care.
The majority of cases, and fatalities, are in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District.
Government promises to double the number of daily Covid-19 tests
The Finnish Government says it will increase coronavirus testing, doubling the current 2,500 daily tests within a short space of time to 5,000 each day. So far Finland has conducted more than 24,200 coronavirus tests, but there has been some criticism that public healthcare authorities are only testing patients with severe respiratory symptoms, and health and social care personnel to ensure the health and adequacy of the workforce.
There’s also been questions raised about why Finland isn’t following the World Health Organisation’s mantra to test, trace and treat every case of Covid-19.
The government also says they’ve spent hundreds of millions of euros buying extra protective equipment for healthcare workers with the first consignments arriving this week. Read more at our story here.
Police say beware of coronavirus scammers
Police are warning people - especially the elderly - to beware of scammers who are trying to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis and exploit people’s fears during this time. The warning applies to the whole country but especially in Uusimaa where there’s travel restrictions in place. Officers say they’ve already had a number of different scams reported to them including pole carrying out “coronavirus inspections” and charging for them; offering to provide food delivery services and pretending to be health officials. Police say they know of at least three incidents in Uusimaa where criminals offered to fit bogus coronavirus filters into the homes of elderly people and instead stole cash, watches and jewelry. Read more at our story here.
President’s Kultaranta summer discussions to go virtual
President Sauli Niinistö says his annual summer Kultaranta discussions will this year focus on the global impacts of the corona pandemic. The sessions usually bring politicians and academics together at the president’s summer residents in Nantaali to talk about the big issues of the day, but this year the conversations will be happening virtually, rather than in person. A statement from the Office of the President says more details on who will be involved, and the practical arrangements for this special virtual edition of Kultaranta will be given nearer the time.
EK warns of ongoing economic impact
The Confederation of Finnish Industries EK is warning that the coronavirus crisis could cause a wave of unemployment and bankruptcy that would be worse than the 1990’s recession. A new survey by the organisation finds that almost 20% of employers fear bankruptcy; 42% of respondents say the coronavirus crisis has severely weakened their business – double the figure just two weeks ago; and layoffs have already been made in 37% of Finnish companies. The new survey also finds that about half of companies need face masks, gloves or other protective equipment in their operations but 65% of them say they’re concerned about the availability of these items. Read more at our story here.
Helsinki Biennial arts festival postponed
The Helsinki Biennial, an international arts festival scheduled to bring 40 artists and art collectives to Finland this summer, is being postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organisers announced that the crisis has meant production of the event is behind schedule and it definitely won’t open to the public on 12th June as originally planned. Now, there are two possible options: to either move the opening until early August, or to shift the whole 2020 event by a year and open in 2021 instead. Read more at our story here.
Red Cross opens new coronavirus helpline
The Finnish Red Cross has opened a new helpline for people worried about the coronavirus epidemic. According to the Red Cross, they’ve seen a real need for this service as the outbreak continues and impacts more people in Finland. Callers can speak to someone in confidence, and the Red Cross service is designed to also reduce the load on the government’s helpline numbers. Calling is free of charge and the service is available in Finnish. The number is 0800 100 200.
