The European COVID-19 success story: restrictions have even improved their lives

According to data from December 9, more than 28 thousand people were registered in the country. COVID-19 cases and 424 deaths. The highest number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic was recorded on November 27. – Subsequently, 618 cases were reported. However, the daily statistics are not as bleak as in the rest of Europe.

No other European country can boast such a small number.

By comparison, Denmark, home to around six million people (similar to Finland), currently has a population of 98,000. cases of new coronavirus. In Slovakia, whose population is also reminiscent of Finland, more than 122 thousand people fell ill. people. Sweden has twice the population and 305,000 cases of the disease. So why are the Finns showing relatively good results and named pioneers in the fight against COVID-19?

Although Finland’s remote geographical location and one of the lowest population density figures in Europe are very important trump cards in the fight against COVID-19, the fact that the Finns themselves have great respect for personal space and like being alone is very helpful, Reuters reports.

“Perhaps the Finnish comfort zone is a bit more spacious than the population of most European countries. Naturally, we want to stay at least one meter away from other people, otherwise we will start to feel uncomfortable,” says Mika Salminen , head of the Finnish Public Health Service THL.

According to a Eurobarometer survey, 73% Finnish respondents say that the first measures to control the new wave of coronavirus did not cause them any or only minor inconvenience. 23 percent of respondents even stated that government decisions “improved” their daily lives.

Most Finns just enjoyed the opportunity to spend more time in nature or enjoy the joys of a sauna in the summer cottages by the lakes.

“We like to walk in the woods and swim in the lakes alone, so quite a few Finns were really happy to escape the cities,” says Kristian Wahlbeck, director of the Finnish Mental Health Association.

Quick reaction from Finland

In the spring, when the number of sick people in the world began to increase, the Finnish authorities took urgent measures and imposed a two-month quarantine. Both entry and exit from Helsinki and its surroundings were prohibited.

Schools and other establishments were closed, and restaurants soon followed suit, according to dw.com.

“Finland has recovered fairly quickly and restrictions on social life have been applied almost immediately. The action was taken two weeks earlier than Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark, not to mention Sweden,” said Mika Salminen, director of the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare, to Deutschlandfunk Kultur, a German broadcaster.

He added that it was the strict quarantine that was introduced in time to help control the spread of the virus.

Coronavirus applet effectiveness

One of the secrets of Finland’s success is the ability to quickly track down those who have come in contact with a positive coronavirus test. A special application has been created for this purpose, similar to those used by the Germans.

The Corona Flash contact tracker app was downloaded by almost every second Finn.

Salminen’s colleagues from other health institutions in Europe could only dream of such figures.

“Basically the most important factor in our strategy is testing and contact tracing and, of course, quarantine,” says Salminen.

In Germany, only about 22 million people use the app. people – about a quarter of the total population. This is partly because people’s smart devices are outdated and do not meet technical requirements, while others fear their data will be used for other purposes.

The most important thing is trust

Unlike in Germany, where many people do not hide their doubts about the government’s response to the crisis, or where people simply do not take the threat of the virus seriously, trust in the Finnish government is quite high during these difficult times.

The measures taken to curb the spread of the virus in the country met little resistance and the public even welcomed the quarantine. A public opinion poll commissioned by the European Parliament revealed that up to 73% of respondents in Finland admitted that they were doing quite well in dealing with the new restrictions.

Also, you won’t find anything like the Querdenker movement in Finland, whose supporters are actively holding protests in various cities.

“We are just trying to follow the instructions of the government and follow the restrictions. I think it is related to the fact that we still live in a welfare state,” says Rosa Merilainen, a politician with the Finnish Green League.

Another factor that has contributed to the success is the relatively stable state of the Finnish economy. Although economic productivity in the European Union has fallen an average of 14%, Finland’s figure has fallen by 6.4%, which means that the country’s economy is not bad.

Technological advantages

The transition from work to home and distance education in Finland has been relatively smooth, thanks to the high digitization standards of daily life in the country. A laptop for learning is a common thing for students in the country. In Germany, the situation is far from positive.

According to a survey on digital literacy in German society, 68 students have a laptop. Low-income families have faced considerable challenges since the inception of distance education and blame the difficult situation on the lack of support from the German authorities.

In April, the Finnish authorities’ early efforts to control the virus stood out from the rest with the largest number of citizens starting to work at home. Eurofound has found that almost 60% work remotely. from every worker.

No parties? No problem!

The German government recently launched an online ad campaign urging people to stay home and passively spend time on the sofa in front of the television. Obviously, for many people, this lifestyle does not seem attractive. Only Finland seems to be far ahead of the Germans here.

A survey commissioned by the European Parliament revealed that 23% Finns admitted that their quality of life had improved during the quarantine introduced into the country this year.

“We are not very sociable and we prefer to be alone,” Nelli Hankonen, an expert in social psychology at the University of Helsinki, told AFP.

Another factor that may have played a role is your personal comfort zone – how close you want to be with another person. “It is possible that the comfort zone of the Finns is greater than that of other Europeans. We like to stay at least one meter apart. Otherwise, we feel uncomfortable,” explains M. Salminen on dw.com.

After the first wave in July, only isolated cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Finland, but the country’s authorities continued to adhere to perhaps the strictest travel restrictions in Europe, meaning that the second wave arrived in Finland firmly from foot.

“We sit one by one in a double seat on the bus, it’s natural for us, not some kind of observation social distance. I think it’s an educational and cultural issue,” Juha, a teacher in Finland, told Reuters.

Took additional restrictions

However, the recent strong weekly rise of COVID-19 in the Finnish capital has introduced new restrictions on the coronavirus.

Due to the “unsettling situation” in Helsinki, secondary schools, libraries and swimming pools have been closed and all public events banned.

“We suggest using all the tools in the power of the city,” Jan Vapaavuori, the city’s mayor, said in late November, warning that health and contact tracing facilities could be overloaded.

The announced restrictions are valid until December 18.

Until then, Helsinki had a lax control regime that included voluntary restrictions on private events indoors and a recommendation to wear masks in some cases.

Residents are encouraged to limit the number of contacts in the immediate environment. It is recommended to abstain from family gatherings, including various holidays. Funerals are also recommended for a small number of people.

Finns are also urged to restrict travel to other regions.

However, there are no particularly strict restrictions in cafes and restaurants. In Helsinki, these institutions can be open from 5 am to 11 pm. In the afternoon.

The country, from March 19 to May 13, to prevent the spread of infection. it had closed its walls. Since September 19. People from countries where morbidity has not reached 25 cases per 100,000 in the last two weeks enter the country without self-isolation. people.

From October 1. people from countries where this limit is exceeded can enter without self-isolation with two negative virus tests, the first before travel and the second after arrival.

This measure affects EU countries, the Schengen area and countries on the EU list of third countries. It does not apply to countries like Russia and the United States.