On Monday 4 May, the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported 73 more coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish) infections. With them, the total number of laboratory-diagnosed cases rose to 5,327.
The health agency also reported 10 more deaths associated with the disease, bringing the total number of fatalities in Finland to 240.
The Finnish health authorities have reported 10 deaths for the second consecutive day, at a time when the government is debating a possible lifting of the restrictions.
9 more deaths in Helsinki area
The region of Helsinki-Uusimaa remains the epicenter and hardest hit area by the epidemic. According to official figures, to date, 3,728 cases of Covid-19 have been found in the capital metropolitan area. Of them, 1,989 in the city of Helsinki.
To date the Helsinki University hospital special catchment area (HYKS) reported 196 fatalities (81.6% 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 10 deaths reported on Monday, 9 occurred in the Helsinki area. The other fatality was recorded in the Turku hospital special catchment are (TYKS).
Helsinki-Uusimaa is also the region with the highest incidence of infections: there are already 221 diagnosed cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
For the whole country, the average incidence rate is less than half that in Helsinki: 96 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The ages of the dead
The health agency has disclosed a few details regarding 231 of the dead. The majority of the dead people (over 90%) had one or more chronic diseases. The most common of them were heart diseases and diabetes.
Source: THL.
Of all the (240) deceased, 20% have been in specialized hospital care, 29% in a primary healthcare unit, 50% in a welfare unit and 1% at home or elsewhere.
In intensive care units
On Monday, the official number of patients hospitalized due to coronavirus was 197. And the number of people in intensive care units was 49 (unchanged from the previous day).
According to a preliminary estimate by THL, there are at least 3,500 people who may have already recovered from the disease.
To date, Finnish laboratories have taken samples from approximately 103,500 people.
