EU donates 250,000 rapid tests for Covid-19 to Finland

Finnish hospital districts, the Åland Central Hospital and the Defence Forces will get free rapid tests for Covid-19 from the EU.

Finland will receive these tests as a donation funded by the EU Emergency Support Instrument. The European Commission has concluded a contract to purchase altogether 20 million rapid tests for Member States. Finland’s share of this will be 250,000 rapid tests.

"Once the tests have been distributed swiftly to hospital districts and further to healthcare units, it will be possible to increase testing capacity. It will also be possible to get test results faster and, in case of exposure to COVID-19, to improve screening, for example in workplaces, schools, shelters and units for service housing," the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health said in a press release.

What is a rapid test?

The rapid tests to be delivered to the hospital districts, Åland and the Defence Forces are antigen tests. Its use is widespread in the rest of Europe, for example in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany or Spain.

Conducting an antigen test does not require any trained laboratory personnel or specialist laboratory. If necessary, antigen tests can also be carried out as point-of-care tests at 24-hour service units or care units. An antigen test gives results in 15–30 minutes.

Rapid tests are already in use at Finland’s western border, and the government aims to expand their use to other border crossing points, too.