Image: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva

The total number of people infected by novel coronavirus has risen to 30, according to the National Institute for Health and Welfare, THL (in Finnish).



On Monday morning, the agency updated the total number of infections by seven new cases. Three diagnoses came from the region served by the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district in southern Finland.

31 exposed in Forssa

Additionally, one case each was reported in the Päijät-Häme, Pirkanmaa, Kanta-Häme and the southwest Finland hospital districts.

HUS officials said that the new cases were linked to travel to areas experiencing outbreaks or to contact with persons diagnosed with the disease.

Meanwhile, one of the infections reported on Monday in the Kanta-Häme region came from the Forssa region. The patient went to work last Thursday at the Wahre community college, where they taught three groups. The 31 students in those groups are now considered to have been exposed to novel coronavirus as a result of close contact.

The case identified in Pirkanmaa is said to the fifth in the region. That individual had travelled to northern Italy and is now in quarantine at home. Local health officials say they have mapped everyone who may have been exposed to the patient.

Markets down on coronavirus fears

The global novel coronavirus outbreak has spooked markets as the number of reported cases and deaths continues to rise. On Monday morning, shares on the Helsinki stock exchange suffered big losses, echoing developments in other global markets.

Trading was down seven percent as of 7.00am Monday morning, while the index, which reflects share price changes on the exchange, was down just over 2,000 points compared the early January.

Major companies such as energy firms Neste and Fortum saw their share price drop by about eight percent by 10.30am on Monday.

However the market did not spare favourites with small investors such as networks firm Nokia and financial services company Nordea.