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At a time when most European countries are tightening measures to reduce the number of people infected with COVID-19, which in some cases is causing dissatisfaction, the trend in Finland is quite different: the number of people is decreasing and the general population supports the restrictions.
Eclipsed by neighboring Sweden, which has attracted the world’s attention with its quarantine-free strategy and restrictive measures, Finland has quietly and quietly managed to keep the number of infected five times lower than the European Union average, and the number death rate in the country is one of the lowest in Europe.
In the last two weeks, Finland has registered 45.7 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the lowest in the European Union, according to the World Health Organization. The country is currently the only country in the European Union where the number of new infections is lower than in the previous 15 days.
“The situation seemed alarming when the number of infected increased dramatically,” said chief epidemiologist Mika Salminen in early October, “but it is clear that we have already passed the peak.”
Health officials attributed the situation to quick action by the government, which introduced a partial quarantine in March and banned entry and exit from the capital.
Following the repeal of these measures, effective systems have been put in place to test and track the infected through an app.
The app is widely used in Finland today: it has already been downloaded approximately 2.5 million times in a country of 5.5 million people, and has circumvented the personal data protection and functionality issues that existed elsewhere in Europe.
Quarantined amateurs?
In Finland, where the authorities are highly trusted, people generally follow the rules. According to a European Parliament poll at the end of October, almost a quarter of residents even believe that quarantine is. . . they improved their lives, making Finland the most positive country in Europe in terms of sanitary restrictions.
The enthusiasm of the Finns is mainly explained by the easy access to remote work in a highly digitized society.
“The economy is structured in such a way that a large proportion of Finnish workers do not need to be present at work,” Nelly Hankonen, a professor of social psychology at the University of Helsinki, told AFP.
According to her, the character of Finns, often perceived as a reserved and loving loneliness, also plays a role: “In Finnish culture we are not very sociable (…) We like to be alone and a little isolated”.
“Do not stop smiling”
These days, in late autumn, passersby walk quietly through the streets of the capital, Helsinki. Few wear masks despite the recommendations of the authorities.
“My daily life hasn’t suffered much,” Gegi Aydin, a healthcare worker who recently started working as a graphic designer, told AFP.
Due to his professional career, he has no job offers, but what happened helped the 36-year-old to limit his social contacts. “My friends really don’t want to see each other, that’s understandable,” Aydin says.
In the modern district of Punavuori, in the heart of the capital, Richard McCormack has a lot of work to do on the terrace of his restaurant, he wants to finish on time by placing glass partitions that will separate the tables so that he can meet his customers in an atmosphere safe.
“It will look like a room where people can dine in private,” says the restaurateur.
Although the Finnish economy contracted 6.4 percent in the second quarter, which is twice the European average, the blow for restaurateurs was “devastating,” McCormack said. He himself was forced to fire several people.
Now restaurants are required to fill no more than 50 percent of their capacity indoors, and working hours are reduced. On the other hand, there are no restrictions in the outdoor areas, and the glass partitions on the terrace “allowed us to hire people again.”
McCormack’s advice is: “Try to find new ways to deal with everyday life. And don’t stop smiling.”
Translation: Bozhidar Zahariev, BTA
