Marin urges compliance with restrictions to avoid coercive measures

The government on Thursday urged Finnish residents to comply with the restrictions and recommendations of the health authorities. Only in this way, Prime Minister Sanna Marin explained a press conference, will it be possible to avoid the introduction of restrictions on people's movements, fines for not wearing masks and other coercive measures.

The head of government made this appeal to the population perhaps at the most difficult time for Finland since the pandemic broke out. The country was reasonably spared in spring from the devastating effects of the coronavirus on the rest of Europe, but this second wave is also hitting Finland harder than before.

The latest epidemiological assessment published on Thursday by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health warns that "the Covid-19 situation has worsened almost throughout Finland but particularly in the Greater Helsinki area," that a week ago entered the community transmission (spreading) phase of the epidemic.

This is scenario is equivalent to alert level 3 on a scale of 1 to 3.

The regional authorities are so concerned that in some other hospital districts like Kanta-Häme and Southwest Finland (Turku) doctors openly recommend not traveling to the capital area.

'Highest' number of infections

In the Helsinki-Uusimaa region, the number of infections has been "the highest since the epidemic started," the Ministry remarked. In addition, during the last week the Päijät-Häme hospital district (whose largest city is Lahti) reported having entered also the community transmission phase.

Other eight hospital districts (Kanta-Häme, Kymenlaakso, Länsi-Pohja, Pirkanmaa, North Ostrobothnia, Vaasa, Southwest Finland and the Åland islands) are currently in the acceleration phase (alert level 2).

The remaining 11 districts are at a stable level, though some individual cities and towns like Joensuu, Rauma, Pori, Kronoby, Alajärvi and Soini that have entered the acceleration phase.

496 infections in 24 hours

On Thursday, the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported 496 new infections in 24 hours. The figure may seem low compared to other countries, but the number of infections is increasing week after week. Now Finland is on its way to stop being the Covid-free 'oasis' depicted by some international media.

In the past two weeks of assessment (between 9 and 22 November), 4,176 new cases were reported, which was 1,315 more than in the preceding 14-day period. On Thursday, the incidence of new cases was 78.9 per 100,000 inhabitants nationwide. But in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region the incidence soars to 161.1 per 100,000 residents.

The majority of new cases continue to be of domestic origin. Infections contracted abroad accounted for about 3% of the new cases. At the national level, approximately half of the traced infections were contracted from people living in the same household. In 14% of the cases the virus had spread at workplaces.

Fines for not wearing masks

In the midst of this complicated situation, Sanna Marin called for the responsibility of the population and to comply with the restrictions. "Now it's time to step up," she said. Otherwise, if the virus keeps spreading, the government could implement the Emergency Powers Act.

"If the situation worsens, it would be then possible to implement the Emergency Powers Act in order to safeguard healthcare capacity, or restrict the right of people to move within a certain area if it is necessary," she explained. The government already discussed this possibility at a cabinet's meeting on Wednesday. 

Last spring, the government restricted entry and exit from the Helsinki-Uusimaa region in a much less worrisome scenario. Now, the authorities are doing their best not to have to repeat it.

The Prime Minister was asked why the government does not mandate the mandatory use of masks. According to Marin, she would not like to have to, as that would lead to a situation where Finns would have to be fined for not wearing face masks.

"I appeal to the people to follow the recommendations, so that there is no need to resort to coercive measures," she said.