On Friday 8 May, the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported 65 more coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish) infections. With them, the total number of laboratory-diagnosed cases rose to 5,738.
The health agency also reported 5 more deaths associated with the disease, bringing the total number of fatalities in Finland to 260.
The region of Helsinki-Uusimaa remains the epicenter and worst-hit area. According to official figures, to date, 4,057 cases of Covid-19 have been found in the capital metropolitan area. Of them, 2,108 have been diagnosed in the city of Helsinki.
However, health authorities admit the actual number of cases may be much higher, since people with mild symptoms are not generally tested.
The situation update on #coronavirus has been updated on our website (8 May at 17:30).
🔹Samples tested: approx. 116,500
🔹Reported cases: 5,738
🔹Hospitalised: 169
🔹In intensive care: 45
🔹Deaths: 260
Read the latest updates ⬇https://t.co/2VVWW16k4Y pic.twitter.com/Y24On3ukhs— THL (@THLorg) May 8, 2020
New deaths in Helsinki and Turku
To date, the Helsinki University hospital special catchment area (HYKS) reported 213 fatalities (82% of the country's total). This means four out of every five deaths caused by coronavirus have occurred in the Helsinki hospital area.
Source: THL.
Of the 5 deaths reported on Friday, 4 occurred in the capital region and 1 in the Turku University Catchment area + Åland, where so far 11 fatalities have been reported.
Helsinki-Uusimaa is also the region with the highest incidence of infections: there are already 240.6 diagnosed cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
For the whole country, the average incidence rate is less than half that in Helsinki: 104 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to THL.
In intensive care units
On Friday, the official number of patients hospitalized due to coronavirus nationwide was 169. And the number of people in intensive care units was 45.
According to a preliminary estimate by THL, there are at least 4,000 people who may have already recovered from the disease.
To date, Finnish laboratories have taken samples from approximately 116,500 people.
