Here’s the latest news you need to know about coronavirus in Finland:
- 51 new cases of coronavirus confirmed / 155 total
- Estonia’s state of emergency impacts Baltic ferry passengers
- Health authority head criticised over flu press conference
- Defence Forces make changes to limit coronavirus impact
- Nordea offers bank loan payment freeze for customers
- Could lunch buffets be a coronavirus threat?
51 new cases of coronavirus confirmed
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL says there have been 51 new cases of coronavirus confirmed since Thursday. That brings the total number of Covid-19 cases in Finland to 155.
Here’s where the latest cases have been discovered:
- 24 new cases in Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District
- 7 new cases in Hospital District of Southwest Finland
- 5 new cases in Pirkanmaa Hospital District
- 6 new cases in Central Finland Hospital District
- 5 new cases in Satakunta Hospital District
- 2 new cases in Kanta-Häme Hospital District
- 1 new case in the Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District
- 1 new case in Vaasa Hospital District
Estonia’s state of emergency impacts Baltic Sea ferry passengers
The Government of Estonia has implemented a state of emergency in the country, taking their own active measures against the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to closing down school, the measure will also have an impact on passengers on ferries between Finland and Tallinn.
Sanitary inspections will be introduced at ports, and people entering the country will have to fill out forms to identify where they came from.
The ferry service between Tallinn and Stockholm has been suspended but for now Finnish ferry services are not affected by the new state of emergency.
Health authority boss criticised after press conference flu
The head of THL Markku Tervahauta has apologised for going to work while suffering from seasonal flu. Director General Tervahauta was one of the officials who appeared at a THL press conference on Friday morning, where he was visibly suffering from an illness, and used the same handkerchief several times during the event.
Although he is suffering from seasonal flu and not coronavirus, Tervahauta disregarded his own experts’ advice to stay home if suffering from any flu-like symptoms.
“I apologise for my poor performance and the bad example I have said” Tervahauta writes on Twitter.
“Again, my own shortcomings and how difficult is is to comply with hygiene guidelines and change my own procedures have become well established” he says.
Defence Forces make changes to fight coronavirus spread
The Finnish Defence Forces are making operational changes to try to mitigate the damage of the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic. They’re staggering holiday and working periods, and canceling refresher courses.
The changes come into place today and last until further notice. From now, weekends for conscripts will start on Saturday instead of Friday.
At the same time they military will move to a system where one third of employees are on holiday for a week at a time, followed by two weeks working in the garrison. The purpose of the new rotation system is to ensure that not everyone gets sick at the same time.
Nordea Bank offers loan deferral to customers
Nordea Bank has announced it will help customers with loan repayments as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The bank says that personal and business customers can have up to six months of loan repayments; while small and medium-sized businesses will get a three month grace period.
“The corona virus has spread quickly and it impacts the Nordic societies and our customers” says Ceo Frank Vang-Jensen.
“That is why we have decided to install a set of quick actions to support personal customers and small and medium-sized businesses in the Nordics” he adds.
Nordea tells its customers to get in touch with the bank immediately to discuss their situation during the coronavirus outbreak.
Lunch buffets under coronavirus threat?
Reasonably-priced lunch buffets are a staple of Finnish life - but could they pose a health hazard during the current coronavirus pandemic? Some resorts in Las Vegas have already decided to close their buffets; and closer to home, restaurants in Scotland have been hit with a buffet ban as well over fears of “communal sharing.”
So what does this mean for Finland’s lunch buffet culture? The Finnish Institute for Occupational Health has prepared new guidelines for restaurants and other food premises on the prevention of Covid-19, but the Finnish Food Authority Ruokavirasto points out that the virus spreads through human to human contact, and there’s been no transmission from food detected anywhere.
“The emphasis of control measures is in prevention of spread of virus via various surfaces. In buffet restaurants this includes hygiene practices of employees, as well as, hand and coughing hygiene and practices of all people in restaurants” explains Leena Räsänen, Director of the Food Safety Department at Ruokavirasto.
“In general, sick people are not allowed to work at restaurants. Therefore, there has not been a reason so far to close down restaurants” she tells News Now Finland.
“In case, this would be considered necessary and effective in preventing the spread of virus, this would, of course, be a possible measure.”
