Image: Petteri Bulow / Yle

8,750 lab-confirmed infections as of Wednesday 16.9 (up by 25 since Tuesday 15.9)



339 deaths linked to coronavirus as of Monday 14.9 (up by 2 since 9.9)



14 people in hospital, three of them in intensive care as of Wednesday 16.9

Hospital districts report on deaths and hospitalised patients on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

17.9 11:37 University moves to distance learning after four confirmed cases

Up to 500 students at the University of Turku’s Faculty of Medicine will move to distance learning until the end of September after four students were diagnosed with coronavirus.

Read more on this story here.

17.9 9:24 Thursday's papers: Reaction to budget plans

Finland's press on Thursday morning has looked into the government's 2021 draft budget and how it aims to deal with the effects of the coronavirus crisis.

Read more on this story, and the rest of our Thursday morning paper review, here.

16.9 17:37 Finland unveils corona-era budget

The Finnish government on Wednesday unveiled a spending package for 2021 that it would boost employment, advance climate targets and increase spending to deal with the fallout from the coronavirus crisis.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced a deal on Finland's state budget for 2021 on Wednesday after lengthy negotiations between different sections of her five-party coalition government.

“This budget has been prepared in the midst of an exceptionally grave health and economic crisis, and next year still holds a great deal of uncertainty. The budget as a whole aims to be a stimulus,” Marin said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Read here for more details about the budget proposal.

16.9 15:40 Young people seek help for corona-based anxiety

The coronavirus crisis continues to adversely affect the wellbeing of children and young people, according to mental health advocacy organisations. However the youth-based online mental health discussion platform--set up by Mental Health Finland and the Finnish Red Cross--called Sekaisin-chat, has grown in popularity during this rather unusual year. Read more here.

16.9 15:05 25 new coronavirus cases in Finland

Finland reported 25 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, bringing the running total of cases to 8,750.

The agency said that 14 patients were receiving hospital treatment for the disease, three of them in intensive care. The number of deaths stands at 339.

16.9 14:05 Two million downloads for Koronavilkku app

Nearly two-fifths of Finland has now downloaded the country's version of a coronavirus contact-tracing app.

The app launched two weeks ago and has now been downloaded some two million times. It is designed to alert users when they may have been exposed to coronavirus.

THL said in a statement that the app is a useful aid to contact-tracing but does not replace other measures like hand-washing and physical distancing.

The app is available in Finnish and Swedish, but not yet English.

16.9 9:12 Testing ramps up

Finland has carried out more than 800,000 coronavirus tests since the epidemic hit the country, according to newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.

Testing has ramped up during that time and the one million test mark will be reached by the end of the month, the paper reports.

Find Wednesday's press review for more on this and other stories here.

15.9 17:11 More than 500 quarantined in South Savo

A new coronavirus infection was confirmed in the region of South Savo on Tuesday, bringing the regional total of infections to 33 over the past two weeks, according to the South Savo Social and Health Care Authority (Essote).

The latest case was related to a known infection chain, the authority said. Due to increased call volumes, Essote's resources for health and counselling services have seen delays in appointments and congestion on telephone consultation lines.

On Monday, for example, phone queues to area health services were up to more than two-and-a-half hours long, according to the authority.

In an effort to prevent the further spread of the virus, Essote limited public gatherings in the region under its authority to 50 people or less for a period of two weeks, starting on Monday.

15.9 15:58 Series of exposures in Hämeenlinna, 250 quarantined

All 35 residents of the Mainiokoti Larin Kyösti care home in Hämeenlinna were quarantined after a fellow resident tested positive for Covid-19, according to local health officials.

Both staff and residents of the elder care facility will undergo coronavirus tests on Tuesday, and visits to the care home are currently prohibited.

The incident is the latest in a series of mass exposures to impact the city over the past week, with 250 local residents currently in quarantine. Read more here.

15.9 13:00 98 new Covid cases in Finland

Finland reported 98 lab-confirmed coronavirus infections on Tuesday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL, bringing the running total to 8,725.

THL said that 41 cases were linked to an infection chain that originated in a restaurant in Lahti. Meanwhile Central Finland reported 26 new cases. Fourteen of those cases were from Äänekoski and three in Saarijärvi. These infections originated from a private function that took place in early September.

According to THL the proportion of positive tests has risen from 0.2 percent to 0.5 percent.

15.9 12:35 Russia-Finland bus passenger tests positive, up to 50 others exposed

A passenger who travelled aboard a bus from St.Petersburg in Russia to Hamina in Finland, arriving on 8 September, has tested positive for Covid-19.

Authorities have so far been able to gather contact details for 32 of the other 50 passengers, but are still trying to track the remaining 18 passengers.

Read more on this story here.

15.9 11:43 Draft "test and travel" legislation roundly criticised

The government's proposed "test and travel" legislation--which would require people entering Finland from Covid risk countries to present evidence of a negative test result--has been widely criticised during the commenting round by bodies including the National Police Board, the Chancellor of Justice and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) as well as firms in the tourism and restaurant sectors.

There is more on this story, and the criticisms and concerns of each organisation, here.

15.9 10:54 Finland eases coronavirus testing congestion

The backlog in coronavirus tests--which had seen people waiting up to one week for a test and results--has eased across most of Finland's 20 hospital districts in recent weeks, with testing now available in many locations on the same day that bookings are made, or on the next day at the latest.

Read more on this story here.

14.9 18:39 HUS: Cancer specialist visits decline in district during crisis

Notably fewer patients who suspect they may have cancer, are seeking treatment from specialists than before the coronavirus crisis began, according to the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS).

HUS' chief medical officer, Markku Mäkijärvi, said the 5-10 percent decrease in patients could result in a situation where one hundred cases of cancer would go untreated in the district every month, adding that if it continued for a long time, the cancer treatment schedules of up to one thousand patients could be delayed for a year.

Read more here.

14.9 16:29 Finland reports 2 new virus-related deaths Monday

Two additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported in Finland on Monday, bringing the overall Covid-19 deathtoll to 339, according to the Institute for Health and Welfare THL.

Meanwhile, 10 people were receiving hospital treatment for the illness, three of whom are in intensive care, the institute reported.

14.9 16:00 Bank of Finland: Crisis-caused recession smaller than feared

The economic recession in Finland will be less severe than earlier forecast, according to an interim forecast by the Bank of Finland (BoF), published Monday. The bank said Finland's economic development during the coronavirus crisis was not as weak as in many other countries, but was still facing a deep recession.

Read more here.

14.9 14:47 Mikkeli pupils transition to remote learning

Mikkeli pupils in grades 4-9 will start a two-week remote learning period on 15 September in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus. More than 300 people were recently exposed to coronavirus in Mikkeli, a town with a population of nearly 54,000, located about 240 km northeast of Helsinki.

Read more here.

14.9 13:13 Neste cuts 470 jobs, blames Covid



State-owned oil company Neste on Monday blamed the redundancies of nearly 500 workers in Finland on a global decline in fossil fuel demand caused by Covid-19. Neste's plans to launch co-determination negotiations in its oil products business will save the firm some 50 million euros.

More on this story here.

14.9 13:05 Finland records 47 new cases

Finland reported 47 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL, bringing the total number of infections to 8,627.

THL will issue the latest reports on deaths and hospital patients later on Monday.

14.9 9:45 Pandemic adds pressure to budget negotiations

Media outlets explore how Finland’s pandemic-hit economy can add jobs as negotiations for next year's budget begin in Monday's newspaper roundup. Dailies also consider plans to criminalise online alcohol purchase and examine the use of imported Chinese cobblestones for road repair works in Turku. Read the full digest here.

13.9 18:29 THL revises coronavirus guidelines for children and youth

Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has updated its recommendations for the care and testing of children and youngsters with possible Covid-19 symptoms.

School-age children and teenagers should be immediately tested for coronavirus if they show possible symptoms, even mild ones, the institute said in new guidelines. You can read more in our story here.

13.9 14:44 Sweden’s coronavirus level surpasses maximum for entry into Finland, but border to open anyway

The rate of coronavirus cases in Sweden on Saturday surpassed the maximum level set by the Finnish government on Friday as a prerequisite for entry into this country. Visitors will still be allowed to enter Finland beginning next Saturday, though.

Mika Salminen, Director of Health Security at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), told Yle on Saturday that Sweden’s current infection level will not immediately affect border entry. The situation in Sweden and other countries will be re-evaluated on Thursday, and any possible changes to border traffic will take effect the following week.

On Saturday Sweden's 14-day cumulative number of cases rose just above 25 per 100,000 inhabitants, which Finland has set as the maximum for entry into the country. On Sunday, Sweden's rate dipped back down to 24.

More details here.

12.9 17:50 Deferred matriculation exams for high schoolers exposed to coronavirus

The Matriculation Examination Board says some students exposed to coronavirus will most likely need to postpone their autumn exams until spring, according to Tiina Tähkä, the agency's secretary general.

Quarantined students not exhibiting symptoms would only be able to sit for their exams if their high schools could make special arrangements. For those testing positive, taking the high school exam would be out of the question, Tähkä said.

12.9 17:29 Testing in Finland's winter wonderland

Health officials are scrambling to arrange Covid tests for travellers arriving in Lapland this holiday season, when the region expects to see some 50,000 visitors.

More on this story here.

12.9 14:18 Minister defends Finland's decision to ease travel

Speaking to Yle on Saturday, Centre Party leader and science and culture minister Annika Saarikko refuted criticism that the pandemic’s economic impact weighed heavier than public health concerns in the government's decision to ease travel into the country.

Read more here.

12.9 13:30 Finland reports 45 new cases

Finland reported 45 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. This brings the total number of infections to 8,557. The country has recorded 179 more new cases in the past two weeks than during the two weeks prior.

11.9 20:34 Covid-19 tests Southeast Finland junior ice hockey teams



KooKoo, the under-20 men’s ice hockey team from Kouvola, southeast Finland, said on Friday that five players and one official had tested positive for Covid-19. Information available so far suggests that the infection cluster is linked to a league game between KooKoo and Jukurit last Saturday. More than 20 members of the Jukurit team tested positive for Covid-19 this week and all of the infections have been traced back to the same event Read more on that story here.

11.9 18:05 Public exposed to virus at bar, nightclub, student events

Five young people tested positive for coronavirus after visiting Heidi’s Bier Bar in Turku last Thursday, city officials said in a statement on Friday. According to city officials, customers may also have been exposed to Covid-19 infection between 10pm and 1am on Saturday 5 September at the city's Studio nightclub. Meanwhile people who attended a number of different student events in Turku are also being asked to monitor their health and to get tested if symptoms appear. Read more here.

11.9 13:36 Finland opts for more testing, looser travel rules

Government has announced that plans to ease coronavirus-related restrictions on travel into the country will take effect from 19 September. According to the new rules, visitors will be allowed from countries with fewer than 25 coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants during the preceding two weeks. Currently the limit is eight per 100,000.

Starting on 19 September, Finland will not require travellers to quarantine if they arrive from Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Germany, Cyprus, Australia, Canada and Japan. Read more about the new guidelines here.

11.9 13:11 43 new coronavirus cases in Finland

Finland reported 43 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. Friday’s data bring the total number of infections to 8,512.





11.9 11:04 Helsinki hockey team Jokerit possibly exposed to virus during match

The Finnish KHL team won Wednesday's match in a 6-0 shutout, but may have been exposed to coronavirus during the game. Read more about this here.

11.9 9:24 Finland to relax travel restrictions, adopt test-based scheme

The Finnish government has decided to ease restrictions on travel into the country as of 19 September. As of that date travel will open up from countries with fewer than 25 coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants during the preceding two weeks. At present the limit is 8 per 100,000.

Friday morning's paper review looks at the details of the story, as well as reaction from the tourism sector.

10.9 20:02 Panel urges post-pandemic green stimulus

The Finnish Climate Change Panel argues that the coronavirus-hit economy can and should be rebuilt in a way that increases employment while supporting Finland’s ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

In a report published on Thursday, the blue-ribbon panel proposed millions of euros in investments that it says would raise GDP and employment while cutting emissions. Read our article here.

10.9 14:28 PM teleworking after another possible coronavirus exposure

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) has moved to remote working as a precaution after a possible coronavirus exposure. The PM, who is said to be asymptomatic, will also undergo a coronavirus test. This is the fifth time her schedule has been disrupted by possible exposure to the virus.

Marin will continue her work schedule on Thursday as planned, which includes participating in a video conference with other EU heads of state. Read more here.

10.9 14:03 Pandemic bringing Finnish emigrants home

The coronavirus crisis has led many Finnish citizens living abroad to return to Finland, while during the same period fewer Finnish citizens have chosen to emigrate.

This reverses the trend of the past ten years, which has seen more Finnish citizens emigrating than returning, and a negative net migration figure every year for the past decade. More details here.

10.9 11:53 Manufacturing orders in July down nearly 30% year-on-year

The overall value of new orders in Finland's manufacturing industry was 28.5 percent lower in July this year than in the same month last year, according to the latest figures released by number-crunching agency Statistics Finland.

Read more on this story here.

10.9 9:32 Finland's hospitality sector facing bleak future

The Finnish Hospitality Association MaRa has said that half of all the country's live entertainment service companies will be on the verge of bankruptcy within the next six months if some drastic action is not taken soon, according to a report in Oulu daily Kaleva.

Read the rest of the stories from our Thursday morning paper review here.

9.9 20:35 PM worried about uptick in coronavirus cases

Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday evening that she is very worried about an uptick in Covid-19 cases in Finland as well the fate of Lapland’s tourism industry ahead of the critical Christmas and winter season.

Marin made the comments as the government began talks aimed at updating travel restrictions for visitors entering Finland on Wednesday evening. Finland currently has some of the strictest travel rules in Europe. On Wednesday Finland confirmed 93 new cases of infection from the disease. Read more here.

9.9 19:51 Criticism of Finnair plan to keep 100 cabin crew, furlough 2k others

The Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) says it is opposed to a plan by national airline Finnair to retain a core group of 100 cabin crew, while temporarily laying off 1,900 others from the beginning of October. The union, which represents cabin crew personnel, noted that last week Finnair announced the plan to furlough the nearly 2,000 workers indefinitely from early October.

However the furloughs will not affect a group of 100 cabin crew staff who will be offered work every month. According to the union, employees feel that the selection of core workers was not equitable. Read more here.

9.9 18:44 THL head worries about media impact during crisis

Head of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) Markku Tervahauta, said he is concerned that the coronavirus pandemic plays an outsized role in the minds of Finnish residents and criticised constant media coverage of the situation.

"Corona has been number one for quite some time, and perhaps the quantity and intensity of the coverage has been a bit excessive. We should now change our tone so that reporting of each new outbreak would not increase fears of the pandemic," Tervahauta said.

In particular, Tervahauta said he wondered why the media began regularly publishing daily coronavirus infection rates, even though it hadn't done so during other serious epidemics. Read more comments from the THL chief here.

9.9 17:36 HUS offers online coronavirus test booking system

Residents of the Helsinki University Hospital District (HUS) region will now be able to use the Coronabot online service to book an appointment for a Covid-19 test.

The new feature is expected to relieve bottlenecks in phone lines dedicated to arranging a coronavirus test. HUS has struggled to meet the demand for tests despite efforts to boost testing capacity. Read more about Coronabot's new feature here.

9.9 14:52 Finnair to further slash flights in October

Finnair has announced that it will further reduce flights across all its routes in October. The national airline will operate an average of 70-80 flights a day, instead of an initially planned schedule of 200 daily flights. The company will fly to a total of 42 destinations in Europe and Asia in October, but with reduced frequencies on almost all routes. More on that story here.

9.9 13:31 Mikkeli town centre exposed to coronavirus

More than 300 people were exposed to the coronavirus in South Savo's town of Mikkeli, according to local health officials. A total of 21 people in the South Savo Social and Health Care Authority (Essote) region have tested positive for Covid-19. The health authority said that many who had the virus had been moving about in the city at times when they still were contagious. Read the full story here.

9.9 13:16 Finland reports 93 new Covid cases

Finland reported 93 new lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. The total number of cases now stands at 8,430.

According to THL, the cases were detected over a week, and the figure includes about 10 cases that were not announced on Tuesday due to a technical reporting delay.

About 50 new cases are linked to known chains of infection reported in different parts of the country, such as in Mikkeli, student gatherings and a restaurant in Lahti.

"Today's high infection count is mainly explained by already known clusters. It is important that infection control works effectively and in a timely manner in these areas. Despite the clusters, the epidemic situation has not changed significantly in recent weeks," THL chief physician Taneli Puumalainen said.

9.9 9:47 Åland officials criticise Finland's 'traffic light' system



The Åland County Council and the semi-autonomous government's chief physician have called for more clarity from the Finnish government regarding coronavirus-related travel restrictions. They want to see less focus on infection statistics and more practical guidance on how to travel safely between countries, according to newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet.

Read more about this and other stories in our press review .

8.9 19:22 Possible exposures at Tampere nightclubs

Tampere University Hospital (Tays) warned on Tuesday of possible coronavirus exposures at three nightspots in the south-central city over the past weekend.

The hospital announced on Twitter that a person who has been diagnosed with the coronavirus spent many hours at three establishments on the night of Saturday, 5 September. Details here.

8.9 17:34 Virus found in wastewater in cities without recent cases

An increase in coronavirus was seen in samples taken at several wastewater treatment plants last month, the THL said on Tuesday.

The virus was detected in five cities where confirmed cases of the disease have not been seen in some time: Jyväskylä, Hämeenlinna, Kuopio, Lappeenranta and Kouvola.

The presence of the virus in effluent where no infections have been detected is a warning sign, the THL says.

You can read more here.

8.9 12:31 University of Vaasa sends students home

Students in Vaasa are to be sent home as the university there tries to limit exposure to coronavirus. A tutorial group at the institution was exposed to coronavirus last week. Our story is here.

8.9 11:55 Finnair passenger numbers down

Finland's state-owned airline Finnair says passenger numbers in August were down dramatically on the same month in 2019. The airline is currently running less than a third of the flights it normally does. Our story is here.

8.9 10:12 Several infections confirmed in South Savo, dozens quarantined

Several cases of coronavirus infection were confirmed by health officials in the city of Mikkeli. According to the South Savo Social and Health Care Authority (Essote), one infection occurred at Mikkeli high school and individuals who may have been exposed to the virus have been contacted.

More than 30 people from the school have been instructed to quarantine, according to Essote's health director Santeri Seppälä, who added that it is very probable that more infections will be found.

Meanwhile, the hockey team Mikkelin Jukurit issued its own coronavirus update on Monday evening, with news that three of the U20-league team members were found to have Covid-19.

The team said players, coaches and other staff members who came into contact with the infected individuals were sent to quarantine for two weeks.

7.9 20:17 Covid testing trial starts at Port of Turku

Coronavirus testing points are opening at the Port of Turku this week, in a two-day trial which aims to assess how to process passengers arriving from countries with high infection rates.

Read more on this here.

7.9 19:36 Russian cheese smuggling continues despite border restrictions

Months of coronavirus-related border restrictions have kept Russian visitors from heading to Finland to buy their own supplies of the Havarti-like Oltermanni cheese. However, Russian appetites for Finnish cheese are now being satisfied by people who smuggle the products over the border for them.

Read more about this here.

7.9 16:02 Contact tracing app closes in on 2m downloads

Nearly one in three people in Finland have downloaded the Koronavilkku contact tracing app, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. The agency said on Monday that so far the app, which was released one week ago, had been downloaded 1.8 million times. The app is available in Finnish and Swedish and an English version is currently in the works.

7.9 12:15 Finland reports 36 new Covid cases on Monday

Finland reported 36 new lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases on Monday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. The total number of cases now stands at 8,327. The agency reported one new death from the disease, with 16 patients in hospital, one of them in intensive care.

7.9 11:19 20k jobs at risk as industrial orders collapse

A sharp decline in orders received by technology industry firms could threaten up to 20,000 jobs in the sector, according to lobby group Technology Finland. One-third of the firms responding to the group's survey indicated that they had already dismissed workers or were planning to do so -- potentially leading to the loss of up to 10,000 jobs. TF said that number could rise to 20,000 in light of an indirect impact on the wider economy. Read more here.

7.9 10:46 12 Covid-19 cases linked to Tampere University

Three of six new Covid-19 cases confirmed in Tampere on Sunday have been linked to a cluster previously reported at Tampere University, according to the Tampere University Hospital (Tays). Two of the cases originated elsewhere in Finland, while the source of another is still to be determined. So far 12 confirmed cases have now come from Tampere University.

7.9 09:32 University students cautioned following Covid exposure

Members of the Finnish medical community have criticised student organisations for hosting traditional autumn celebrations, following multiple reports of coronavirus exposures at these events, according to our Monday morning news roundup. Meanwhile more Helsinki schools are sending students home to quarantine over suspected exposure to Covid-19 and Finland celebrates a football win over Ireland. Read the full digest here.

6.9 13:05 Orpo warns of dark economic times ahead

On a weekend of political party conferences, National Coalition leader Petteri Orpo held his keynote speech on Sunday morning. He spoke of the difficult economic situation, criticised the government's policies, advocated Nato membership and said municipalities could launch big job cut programmes this autumn as their revenues dwindle.

The conference re-elected Orpo as leader unopposed, and also elected Antti Häkkänen, Elina Lepomäki and Anna-Kaisa Ikonen as vice-chairs.

Our story is here.

5.9 17:34 Credit rating maintained by S&P

Finland's economy has been hit by Covid-19, but for now S&P at least is maintaining the country's credit rating at AA+. Our story is here.

5.9 13:25 36 news cases in Finland

THL announced on Saturday that Finland had recorded an additional 36 coronavirus infections. That

5.9 11:35 UPM boss wants continuity from government

UPM CEO Jussi Pesonen said on Yle's Ykkösaamu programme that he'd like to see continuity between government terms to ensure a stable environment and profitability for factory owners as the papermaker struggles to deal with the pandemic-inspired recession.

His comments come after UPM closed a factory in Jämsä with the loss of 450 jobs, and Pesonen published an open letter arguing that government policies were unfavourable for business. That sparked a public row with the Prime Minister and others, as business leaders asked for wage restraint and one even compared Finland to North Korea.

Our story on Pesonen's comments is here.

5.9 11:25 Marin fronts scaled down Pride week

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) will serve as the patron of the Helsinki Pride festival in 2020 and 2021, as the event looks to go ahead even without the flagship parade that normally concludes it. Our story is here.

4.9 20:20 Common EU policy could ease Finland's travel rules

An EU Commission proposal to harmonise rules on the freedom of movement among member states during the coronavirus pandemic could soften current travel restrictions in Finland if it is adopted. It has suggested that member states should not restrict arrivals from other EU countries if the number of new Covid-19 cases in the country of origin is fewer than 50 per 100,000 residents during a two-week period. Finland’s traffic light model designates countries as safe for cross-border travel if they have a maximum of eight to 10 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents. Read the full story here.

4.9 17:10 Vantaa mayor warns 10k airport-linked jobs at risk

Up to 10,000 workers with jobs linked to Helsinki Airport are at risk of unemployment following a Covid-related decline in air travel, Vantaa city mayor Ritva Viljanen said on Friday, while urging the Finnish state to support the airport..

Last week, national airline Finnair announced plans to dismiss nearly 1,000 employees. Not long after that, airport ground services firm Swissport Finland said it also aimed to cut up to 700 jobs. Viljanen noted that other firms at the airport, including Finavia, have also furloughed or permanently laid off staff. Read more about it here.

4.9 16:01 Nearly 100 exam candidates in quarantine after two test positive for virus

A total of 96 matriculation exam candidates at Helsinki’s Etu-Töölö upper secondary school have been placed in quarantine after two students tested positive for Covid-19.

According to Helsinki city officials, the infected students had been at school until 27 August. Head of upper secondary schools Harri Korhonen said that students, staff and parents had been informed of the situation.

He added that students due to sit matriculation exams have been learning remotely since the beginning of this week. He said that the Covid cases will not jeopardise exams due to begin on 14 September, because the quarantine period will end before that date.

4.9 14:43 At least 70 exposed to infection at Tampere University

The University of Tampere said on Friday that more than 70 people have been exposed to coronavirus after a chain of possible infections began following an unofficial student event. At least seven people reported experiencing mild coronavirus symptoms, and the mass exposure has also affected family members of students. Tampere University Hospital’s chief physician Jaana Syrjänen told Yle that the infections apparently originated outside the university campus. Read the full story here.

4.9 13:05 Covid accounts for tiny fraction of sick leave payouts

Finland's social insurance agency Kela has said that the coronavirus has not led to a significant increase in sick leave benefit payouts, despite the potentially long-term and serious effects of the virus.

Read more on this story here.

4.9 12:59 Finland reports 25 new cases on Friday

The Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL) has reported 25 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Friday, bring the total number of infections to 8,225.

There are now 14 people being treated in hospital, with one person in intensive care.

4.9 10:23 APN talks about Finland's Covid tracing app

Finland is abuzz about the recently-released coronavirus tracing app but some people said the lack of an English-language version for the application was hampering take-up.

This week the All Points North podcast discussed the app, along with relations between the prime minister and leading figures in Finnish business, and asked whether spending more on children could pay dividends in the long run.

You can listen to the full podcast via the embedded player here or via Yle Areena, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your usual podcast player using the RSS feed. Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and sign up for the APN newsletter.

Story continues after audio.

Audio: Yle News

4.9 9:18 Consumers still waiting for refunds on cancelled flights

Tabloid Iltalehti reports on Friday morning that thousands of customers in Finland are still waiting on refunds for flights and package holidays booked during the spring, which were subsequently cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

There is more on this story, and a round-up of Friday morning's papers, here.

3.9 20:30 Lapland operators cool on negative Covid test requirement

Lapland tourism operators like Miina Pietikäinen say they are not thrilled about a proposed law change that would require incoming tourists to prove they do not have Covid-19 before they can enter Finland. The Ministry of Transport and Communications is currently preparing a legislative amendment that would require visitors travelling to Finland from risk countries to show a negative coronavirus test. The legal change would take effect from October at the earliest. However tourism firms say the change will cause visitor numbers to collapse because of the added expense of taking the test. Read the full story here.

3.9 19:55 Finland bets on new 3-phase action plan

Family Affairs and Social Services Minister Krista Kiuru (SDP) said Thursday afternoon that the government had adopted a three-phase action plan to prevent Covid-19 from spreading in Finland.

Speaking at an update on the epidemic by the Ministry for Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Kiuru said that stopping the spread of the disease required timely and accurately-targeted measures. Read more here.

3.9 18:20 €60m pandemic relief for low-income groups

The Finnish government has approved a supplemental budget proposal that includes 60 million euros to assist low-income earners in covering pandemic-related costs and losses, a measure that has been criticised by the opposition Finns Party.

The plan is part of the fifth supplementary budget of the year, which ministers approved on Thursday. Read more about it here.

3.9 17:18 300 medical students exposed to virus

About 300 students are believed to have been exposed to Covid-19 after attending a traditional student event at Helsinki University’s Faculty of Medicine at the end of August, according to news agency STT. On Tuesday, the university said that a few first-year students had tested positive for the virus.

Medical faculty dean Risto Renkonen told STT that roughly 300 students had participated in an initiation event for new students last Thursday. About 200 were freshmen while 100 were older students. Read the full story here.

3.9 14:31 Investigations to review coronavirus measures

Government has launched two separate assessments of Finland’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference, Marin said that the Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) will lead an independent probe into government actions during the pandemic.

"The purpose of the investigation is to conduct a comprehensive review of the crisis," Marin said, adding that while Finland’s reaction to the crisis was timely and responsible, there were also problems and challenges.

"It is vital to understand how the crisis progressed so that we can be better prepared for potential crises in the future," she added.

Marin noted that the government has also launched its own parallel probe into the measures adopted during the epidemic. She said that the government’s inquiry will rely on interviews.

3.9 12:15 Turku to begin testing for corona at ferry port

The city of Turku has announced plans to being conducting coronavirus tests at its passenger ferry harbour next week. Passengers arriving from Sweden will be directed to health checkpoints, where they may be asked to undergo a coronavirus test.

Read more on this story here.

3.9 9:20 Additional "corona supplement" criticised by Finns Party

Government plans to pay an additional 75 euros per month on top of the current social assistance payment has been criticised by the opposition Finns Party as they say it will "flow" towards immigrants and single men, instead of families.

There is more on this story, and others, in Thursday morning's paper review.

2.9 16:33 Fewer emergency calls, but increase in domestic incidents

Figures released by Finland's Emergency Response Centre Agency reveal that there was a drop in the number of overall calls to emergency services during the coronavirus spring, but police and social services dealt with an increased number of domestic incidents.

There is more on this story here.

2.9 14:35 Helsinki region sees 4,000 coronavirus exposures in 3 weeks

Some 4,000 people have been exposed to coronavirus in the Helsinki region over the past three weeks, prompting deputy chief physician of Helsinki University hospital district (HUS) Eeva Ruotsalainen to call for public gatherings to be limited to a maximum of 20 people. Read more on this story here.

2.9 13:10 Finland confirms 19 new cases on Wednesday

The Institute for Health and Welfare THL reported 19 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in Finland on Wednesday, bringing the country's overall total to 8,161.

There are now nine people in hospital being treated for the virus, two of whom are in intensive care.

2.9 13:04 Coronavirus jabs to be voluntary in Finland

Authorities cannot force residents to get coronavirus vaccinations once they become available, according to the THL. More on this story here.

2.9 9:30 Crisis prompts drug abuse uptick in Finland

Drug abuse in Finland has risen in Finland during the coronavirus crisis while it declined in other EU states, reports daily Helsingin Sanomat, citing a report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

Drug overdose deaths have been rising in Finland for years, according to health agency THL.

Read Wednesday's press review here.

1.9 20:05 Higher infection numbers usually seen on Tuesdays, THL chief explains

The Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported 56 confirmed new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a figure somewhat larger than last week's highest tally of 43 - which was also a Tuesday.

The increase may have led some to wonder whether Covid's second wave was on its way, but the institute's director general, Markku Tervahauta, said there is no reason to draw any broader conclusions based on a single day's figures.

He said that the confirmed case figures tend to be particularly high on Tuesdays.

"It has to do with the logistical pace [of work] after the weekend. It should also be noted that the reported positive cases may be from last week," Tervahauta noted, adding that a clearer picture of the overall situation can be seen in weekly averages.

Tervahauta - who recommended that people in Finland use fabric face masks in public already in April, well before the government's official recommendation on the use of them in August - said that he was pleased that people appear to have begun to increasingly use face masks.

"Risk situations are of course the same everywhere, and the most important thing is to avoid risks," he said.

1.9 19:00 HUS struggles to cut Covid test result delays amid capacity boost

Last month, Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS) was faced with a sizable challenge when the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health announced a goal to carry out 20,000 coronavirus tests across the country every day.

The district's laboratory, HUSLAB, will be responsible for analysing the lion's share of those tests. There are plans to reach more than 8,000 daily Covid tests per day by mid-October and later on, further raise the figure to 10,000 daily tests.

HUS' diagnostics director, Lasse Lehtonen, said it was an difficult goal to achieve.

Read more about this story here.

1.9 17:08 Jyväskylä confirms 19 Covid cases, nearly 400 quarantined

Health officials in central Finland's city of Jyväskylä confirmed on Tuesday that 19 new coronavirus infections were diagnosed in the past 24 hours and that nearly 400 people had received quarantine orders.

Meanwhile, near the Russian border, health officials in Kuhmo, almost 400 km northeast of Jyväskylä, continue to deal with a local coronavirus outbreak.

Read more on this here.

1.9 12:50 One million downloads of tracing app

By midday on Monday, Finland's free contact tracing app had been downloaded to more than a million devices. Public health authorities had set a target of one million users within the first month, but that was reached within the first 24 hours or so.

1.9 12:08 Coronavirus app proves popular

A mobile phone application developed by health officials to help curtail the spread of Covid-19 has been quickly adopted by people in Finland.

The free app was released on Monday by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). So far it is available only in Finnish and Swedish. THL says an English version will be released this autumn.

As of early Tuesday morning, the app had been downloaded 880,000 times, according to the institute's Director of Information Services, Aleksi Yrttiaho. That represents about one sixth of Finland's population.

Yrttiaho said that at the current rate, Finland may set a world record for adoption of a pandemic app. More details here.

1.9 9:20 Experts warn of Covid-19 risks as autumn gets underway

On Tuesday morning, Finnish newspapers weigh expert opinions regarding the coronavirus risk in schools and as some gatherings regain pre-pandemic levels. These topics and more in our press review, which you can read here.

31.8 20:30 Helsinki couples seeking counselling wait up to 8 months for appointments

The waiting time for getting couples therapy appointments in the city of Helsinki has risen to near-record levels -- a situation caused by coronavirus-related delays, according to the city's chief psychotherapist, Sirpa Salonen.

Read more here.

31.8 19:51 Many foreign uni students struggle to arrive in Finland as term begins

Many international and exchange students are facing problems arriving in Finland as the autumn semester begins. Students with spots at Finnish universities coming from outside the EU have encountered severe delays in accessing residence permits as the pandemic has shuttered many Finnish consulates.

Read more here.

31.8 19:01 Lapland's biggest tourism group starts redundancy talks with 2k jobs at risk

After travel restrictions sharply lowered demand for hotels and activities, Lapland's biggest tourism conglomerate, North European Invest, has announced plans to start co-determination negotiations involving its entire workforce.

The group owns Lapland Hotels and Lapland Safaris, which usually employ up to 2,000 people during the winter tourism season, some of them on short-term contracts. Read more here.

31.8 13:43 Finland launches tracing app

Finland’s contact tracing app Koronavilkku (roughly translated as "corona flash" in English) is now available for download in the Google Play and App Store.

The application, produced by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), runs in Finnish and Swedish. The agency said an English-language version of the app will be released later in the autumn.

More on this story here.

31.8 13:07 Death toll up by one to 336

On Monday, the national health agency THL reported one more fatality due to Covid-19, bringing the total to 336 since March. The previous death was reported a week earlier.

Correspondingly the number of patients in intensive care dropped from one to zero, and the number of hospital patients overall from 11 to 10.

The number of ascertained cases rose by nine from Sunday and by 44 since Friday for a new tally of 8,086. Sixteen of the new cases are in the eastern town of Kuhmo. Read more about that situation here.

31.8 11:45 Helsinki's 'corona terrace' may return next summer

Helsinki officials say that a giant terrace set up for al fresco dining and drinking on Senate Square this summer was a major success. Since opening at the beginning of July, the plaza attracted some 400,000 customers.

Though originally designed to help the cities’ restaurants get through the coronavirus crisis by offering a safer place to serve customers, many entrepreneurs hope that the terrace will become a regular feature of the city summer.

Read more here.

31.8 9:40 Class conflict, masks and poor families

Finnish media on Monday morning explore how the virus is affecting all facets of Finnish society, from large multinationals to small children. Read our news round-up here.

30.8 18:13 No infection clusters linked to summer festivals

Festivals that went ahead this summer did not spread Covid-19, say public health officials.

All but the smallest festivals were cancelled in June and July, due to a government ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. After that was lifted on 1 August, a number of larger events were held in the first half of this month, mostly in western Finland. More than two weeks have passed since most festivals, so any possible spikes should have appeared by now.

Three infectious disease doctors interviewed by Yle say that luck may have played a role. More details here.

30.8 13:55 Nearly 350 new cases in past two weeks

National health institute THL said on Sunday that 28 new coronavirus infections had been confirmed by Finnish labs since the previous day, bringing the total to 8,077 cases. Within the past two weeks almost 350 new infections have been diagnosed, 68 more than during the preceding fortnight.

As of Friday, there were 11 patients in hospital, one in intensive care. The most recent death was reported on Monday, making the total 335. The THL will update these figures on Monday.

30.8 12:02 Small town on Russian border combats coronavirus spread

The Kainuu Social and Health Care Joint Authority (Kainuun sote) is enforcing new measures to rein in an upsurge in coronavirus infections in eastern Finland.

On Saturday the authority reported that 13 new coronavirus infections had been confirmed and over 100 people exposed in Kuhmo, a town of just over 8,000 people on the Russian border. On Sunday Kuhmo officials announced an array of new restrictions.

Our article is here.

29.8 17:46 Belated graduations, end-of-summer events limited by pandemic

The last Saturday of summer brings many celebrations, but some of them were restricted in this pandemic year. These included belated graduation ceremonies, Finnish Nature Day and the traditional closing of the summer cottage and boating season. Find out how they were affected here.

29.8 13:59 PM: "We’re living through Finland’s worst postwar crisis"

Speaking on Yle TV1's Ykkösaamu chat show on Saturday, Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) has questioned forest products giant UPM's decision to close a profitable paper mill at a time when, in her words, "we’re living through Finland’s worst postwar crisis".

Marin also discussed the EU's 750-billion-euro economic stimulus package aimed at coronavirus recovery, which she is to defend in Parliament after it reconvenes next week. Marin pointed out that while Finland's economy situation is serious, the country has so far suffered less from the coronavirus crisis than most other EU countries.

You can read more about the interview here.

28.8 19:32 Chief physician criticises Skopje flight suspension

Mikko Pietilä, Chief Physician of the Southwest Finland Hospital District, has criticised Traficom's decision to suspend flights between Turku and the North Macedonian city of Skopje.

According to Pietilä, allowing flights to arrive into Finland from Skopje would have made it possible for Finnish authorities to easily and safely identify any passengers infected with coronavirus. Instead, Pietilä says, people will now take an indirect route into Finland from the region, making it much harder for authorities to keep track of potential infections.

28.8 18:44 PM Marin visits Jämsä to meet laid-off paper workers

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP), along with Minister for Employment Tuula Haatainen (SDP) and Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari (SDP), met factory workers on Friday still reeling from the announcement of the closure of their paper mill in Jämsä, Central Finland, with the loss of 450 jobs.

There is more on Marin's message to the workers, and the industry, here.

28.8 17:14 Helsinki divorce rate down, despite coronavirus fears

Divorce filings in Helsinki during the summer were down nearly 50 percent compared to the same period last year, despite fears the coronavirus crisis would exacerbate marital problems and lead to a spike in divorce figures.

There is more on this story here.

28.8 14:20 Corona crisis hit Finnish economy harder than forecast

The coronavirus crisis and the restrictive measures introduced to prevent its spread hit the Finnish economy harder than previously estimated, according to preliminary data published by Statistics Finland.

Compared to last year, private consumption and export volumes both fell by more than 10 percent in Q2.

Read more here.

28.8 13:53 Finland looks to create new national parks

With more and more residents heading to the great outdoors, the environment ministry has received applications to establish five new national parks. When the coronavirus crisis began this spring, residents increasingly headed to the great outdoors in lieu of other indoor activities, according to Google tracking data. More in this story here.

28.8 13:04 Finland sees 23 new cases

Finland reported 23 new lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours on Friday, according to health agency THL. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 8,042.

28.8 11:12 Finnish textile maker sources 60m Chinese masks for Finnish healthcare

Finnish textile firm Finlayson and the National Emergency Supply Agency (Nesa) on Friday reached a deal to supply protective gear to healthcare workers in Finland. Finlayson has sourced 60 million surgical masks from China which it will deliver to Finland.

Neither party has wanted to disclose the price of the deal.

"Normal procurement guidelines were followed," NESA said. As the epidemic hit Finland last spring, the stockpile agency faced criticism for botched multi-million-euro PPE deals.

The first batch of masks is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

28.8 10:37 Corona sniffer dogs arriving at Helsinki Airport

A project training sniffer dogs to detect coronavirus infections at Helsinki Airport will go ahead after securing funding from a private veterinary clinic. Instructors said that within the first two weeks of training, seven of the 16 dogs had already learned to recognise the coronavirus scent from a skin wipe sample. Read all about it here.

27.8 22:00 APN looks at Finland as a safe haven from Covid-19

This week All Points North asks if elected officials can take product placement deals while maintaining their impartiality. The show also explores a recent scandal involving a Green League politician who was gifted an electric bicycle in exchange for social media promotion.

You can listen to the full podcast via the embedded player here or via Yle Areena, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your usual podcast player using the RSS feed. Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and sign up for the APN newsletter.

Story continues after audio

Audio: Yle News

27.8 20:30 Less than half wear face masks as recommended

In an Yle poll, 42 percent of people surveyed in Finland said that they wear face masks according to recommendations or even more frequently. However 55 percent said they either do not wear one at all, or less than recommended. More survey results here.

27.8 18:46 Restaurant restrictions extended through September

Despite speculation that it might impose stricter rules on restaurants, the government decided on Thursday to keep the current restrictions in place through the end of September at least.

Restaurateurs have been told to ensure social distancing in their premises and to limit the number of customers to match the seats available. Read more here.

27.8 17:52 APN podcast asks if Finland could be a global Covid haven?

Could Finland become a safe haven for digital nomads and can politicians be social media influencers hawking products? The All Points North podcast probes these and other major stories of the week.

You can listen to the full podcast via the embedded player here or via Yle Areena , Spotify , Apple Podcasts or your usual podcast player using the RSS feed . Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and sign up for the APN newsletter.

Audio: Yle News

27.8 15:32 Finland-Sweden Athletics International gets green light



The annual Finland-Sweden Athletics International will go ahead as planned this year in Tampere on the weekend of 5-6 September, despite Finland's restrictions on travel for Sweden. The Finnish Amateur Athletic Association (SUL) revealed it has applied for and received an exemption for the Swedish team to travel.

Read more here.

27.8 15:04 Confusion over official guidelines on large gatherings



Finland’s Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI)'s decision not to follow the guidelines on public gatherings issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has caused confusion over the past week, with the ministry's Chief of Staff Kirsi Varhila telling Yle that the regional agencies are free to make their own decisions.

There is more on this story here.

27.8 13:14 Rise in caseload over past two weeks

The THL said on Thursday that 17 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed at Finnish labs in the past 24 hours. That brings the total for the past week to 177.

Within the last two weeks, 336 diagnoses have been confirmed, compared to 260 during the previous fortnight, an increase of 76 cases.

27.8 9:30 Papers: Skopje flights suspended

Direct flights from the North Macedonian city of Skopje to Turku in southern Finland have been suspended after at least 43 people arriving into Finland on the flights have tested positive for coronavirus.

There is more on this story, and others, in Thursday morning's paper review.

26.8 20:30 Online bookings soon possible for corona tests

Helsinki University hospital district says it will soon start taking bookings online for those who need a Covid-19 test. At first this route will only be available for adults. Our story is here.

26.8 19:05 Traffic light model unveiled

Finland offered more details about its traffic light model of travel guidance on Wednesday. Just three countries are classified as green: Estonia, Latvia and Hungary. Our story is here.

26.8 16:28 Large gatherings still allowed

Finland's regional state development agencies (Finnish acronym AVI) cleared up some confusion on Wednesday, announcing that the rules on large gatherings will remain the same. That is, gatherings of more than 50 people are permitted, so long as organisers follow hygiene and safety rules. Our story is here.

26.8 14:55 More job cuts announced

The economic news is fairly grim today, as both baggage handling company Swissport and paper firm UPM announce large numbers of job cuts. Our story is here.

26.8 13:02 Espoo quarantines 160 pupils and staff

The city of Espoo has placed 160 people under quarantine following the potential exposure of students and staff at Etelä-Tapiola high school (100) and Maininki primary school (60). The city reported that the cases were unrelated and that the cases did not originate in the schools. City officials said they would contact potentially exposed students and their guardians.

26.8 12:46 Covid cases in Finland exceed 8,000

Health agency THL reported 21 new lab-confirmed cases on Wednesday, pushing the number of infections in Finland to 8,002.

26.8 9:34 THL relaxes guidance on sniffly kids

The Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has relaxed guidelines urging that parents get Covid tests for children exhibiting symptoms of upper respiratory infection, according to Swedish-language daily Hufvudstadsbladet.

Read our press review for details on this and other stories found in Wednesday's newspapers.

25.8 20:20 Ministers vow to assist crisis-hit Finnair

As a majority owner of Finnair, the state wants to help the company through the crisis it is dealing with, the country's state ownership and steering minister Tytti Tuppurainen (SDP) said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Finnair announced plans for co-determination talks with aims to cut around 1,000 jobs, citing low passenger volumes caused by coronavirus-related travel restrictions. The company said it was looking to make savings of around 100 million euros per year.

Read more here.

25.8 13:27 Finland reports 43 new infections

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL said there have been 43 new cases of coronavirus diagnosed in Finland on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections to 7,981.

There are now 12 people being treated in hospital, one of whom is in intensive care.

25.8 12:55 Ombudsman gets flood of complaints

The pandemic has seen a flood of complaints about public bodies and agencies' response. Restrictions on care home visits, limits on maternity support and police actions in cordoning off Uusimaa have all been under the microscope. Our story is here.

25.8 12:41 Finnair announces talks aimed at cutting a thousand jobs

Finland's state-owned airline Finnair has struggled to adjust to a world of dramatic reductions in demand for air travel. On Tuesday they announced they were looking to cut a thousand jobs as the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continued to reverberate. Our story is here.

25.8 11:40 Unemployment up as Covid hits economy

Statistics Finland says that unemployment is up by some 47,000 in Finland in July, compared to one year earlier. Our story on the new figures is here.

25.8 10:59 Pandemic affecting young people's mental health

Finland's national mental health helpline 'Sekasin', which focuses on younger people, has reported a 25 percent increase in calls during the coronavirus pandemic, as the number of referrals for mental health care have simultaneously fallen.

There is more on this story here.

25.8 9:07 Papers: Travel slump hits Finnair and Lapland tourism

The coronavirus crisis is continuing to cause problems for Finland's national airline Finnair, with business newspaper Kauppalehti reporting that the company may be forced to make permanent job cuts if demand for air travel doesn't improve.

Things are not looking much better in Lapland, as Taloussanomat reveals that as many as 60 percent of local businesses expect to close down after the winter season if foreign tourists cannot come.

Read more in our paper review here.

24.8 20:11 Tallink suspends Turku-Tallinn route

Estonian-based shipping firm Tallink Grupp has announced that it is suspending its route between Turku, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia because of a coronavirus-related decline in passenger numbers.

The cruise ship company's ticket sales were significantly down due to passengers' fears over possible looming travel restrictions, Paavo Nõgene, Tallink Grupp's CEO, said in a release.

Read more here.

24.8 19:09 HUS seeks hundreds of workers to triple testing capacity

The Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district's (HUS) laboratory services arm, HUSLAB, would need up to 700 additional staff members to be able to meet a ministerial goal of increasing Finland's coronavirus testing capacity, according to the lab's diagnostics director, Lasse Lehtonen.

Read more here.

24.8 14:25 Finland reports 18 new infections, 1 death

Eighteen new coronavirus infections were reported in Finland on Monday, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL said. In the last two weeks, 337 new infections were detected — 134 more than in the previous fortnight.

One new coronavirus-related death was also reported bringing the total number of deaths in Finland to 335. There are currently 11 patients in hospitals, one of whom is in intensive care.

24.8 14:25 Ministry corrects guidance, cap on gatherings remains at 500

Finland's cap on gatherings will remain at 500 throughout September after officials backtracked on an earlier announcement that it would be cut to 50. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Monday said that an announcement from Finland’s Regional State Administrative Agencies that crowd gathering sizes would soon be restricted to 50 was incorrect, with the agencies misled by a typo in guidance issued by the ministry.

Read the full story here.

24.8 12:42 Viking Line announces redundancy talks

Finnish shipping company Viking Line said its business had been dramatically affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The firm announced on Monday some 200 land-based employees could be made redundant, temporarily laid off or have their hours cut back to part-time starting 1 September. Read more here

24.8 10:42 Finland tightens border checks

Border checks were reinstated on the Finnish-Norwegian border on Monday, 24 August. This means crossing the 700-kilometre border can now only be done at official checkpoints. Finland also reinstated checks on travellers from Iceland, Greece, Malta, Germany and Denmark.

Return traffic to Finland, commuting and other essential traffic is still permitted across Schengen internal borders, according to the Interior Ministry.

24.8 9:30 Kids may be last to get Covid vaccine in Finland

Our newspaper round-up on Monday morning covers Finland's plans to inoculate the population in stages. More on this here.

Read previous coronavirus updates here.