[ad_1]
From: TT
Published:
Photo: Johanna Geron / AP / TT
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin wearing a mouth guard in Brussels in October. Stock Photography.
Finland has previously been hailed as a successful country in its handling of the corona pandemic, but now the government is warning that the number of new cases is increasing at an alarming rate.
However, this is not the time to reactivate the Emergency Preparedness Act, announces Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
Finland still has the second best infection rate in Europe, in terms of the number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants during the last two weeks. But the situation may quickly get worse, as in many other countries in Europe, says the Prime Minister.
In the last week, a drastic increase has been observed across the country, and if the Finns do not start following the recommendations, there is a risk that medical care will be overloaded, says Sanna Marin in a press conference on Thursday.
– The situation is serious and we must also take it seriously. More and more regions are in danger of ending up in the third phase of the epidemic if we do not act immediately. We must be proactive so that the situation does not deteriorate.
70 percent increase
In the province of Uusimaa, where the capital Helsinki is located, the number of cases increased last week by almost 70 percent compared to the previous week. Health care there risks becoming overloaded within a couple of weeks, YLE reports.
The region will now stop all indoor and outdoor general meetings and students over 15 will be distance learning.
The worst affected regions are also urged to temporarily close all public places that are considered high risk.
Finnish ministries will start preparations so that the Emergency Preparedness Act can be introduced quickly if it becomes relevant, Hufvudstadsbladet reports. The Emergency Preparedness Act gives authorities a far-reaching mandate in crisis situations and was applied this spring to curb the corona pandemic. However, it was deactivated during the summer.
It could affect
Sanna Marin emphasizes during the press conference that the Finns themselves, through their actions, can influence the outcome of the coming weeks.
Restrictions and recommendations only work if they are followed. We all have a responsibility to prevent the spread of infection. In order to care for each other, we must start with ourselves.
And if the infection spreads more in certain areas, it may be relevant to limit people’s travel in that area, says the Prime Minister.
– And then you can also limit the opportunity to move within a certain area if necessary to avoid a serious threat to people’s life and health.
I don’t want to fine
At present, Finland limits the number of people allowed in the audience of events, teleworking is recommended and restrictions on alcohol service have been introduced. Also, people traveling to the country must have a new negative coronation test, and mouth protection is recommended for everyone.
The Prime Minister says she wants to avoid fining Finns who do not wear mouth guards and therefore does not want to enact temporary laws on the matter. Instead, he hopes the recommendations for oral protection are sufficient.
– We should all wear mouth guards when we go out with other people, and we should avoid physical contact in the first place. If contact is necessary, for example when going to the store or pharmacy, then you should wear a mouth guard.
Published:
