Finland is no longer under a state of emergency

Finland is no longer under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus epidemic.

In its plenary session on Tuesday 27 April, the government issued decrees repealing the use of powers under the Emergency Powers Act and declared that the current situation in the country no longer constitutes a state of emergency under section 3 of the Emergency Powers Act.

In the government’s view, the Covid-19 epidemic can now be managed using the regular powers of the authorities.

The government explained in a press release that over the past five weeks, "there has been a clear decrease in the number of new cases of COVID-19, which is a sign that the epidemic is currently winding down in Finland."

According to an assessment of the current situation by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the regular powers of the authorities are sufficient to combat the Covid-19 epidemic and to safeguard the carrying capacity of the healthcare system.

The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister have discussed ceasing the application of the Emergency Powers Act.

The end of the state of emergency does not mean that the epidemic is over or that there cannot be a resurgence of cases.