6 new deaths in Helsinki area bring Finland's death toll to 293
The total number of laboratory-diagnosed cases in Finland rose to 6,228. Around 5,000 people in the country may have already recovered from the disease.
On Friday 15 May, the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported 83 more coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish) infections. With them, the total number of laboratory-diagnosed cases rose to 6,228.
The health agency also reported 6 more deaths associated with the disease, bringing the total number of fatalities in Finland to 293.
The region of Helsinki-Uusimaa remains the epicenter and worst-hit area. According to official figures, to date, 4,462 cases of Covid-19 have been found in the capital metropolitan area. Of them, 2,311 have been diagnosed in the city of Helsinki.
All new deaths in Helsinki
To date, the Helsinki University hospital special catchment area (HYKS) reported 240 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.
The 6 deaths reported on Friday occurred in the capital region, according to figures by THL.
Source: THL
Helsinki-Uusimaa is also the region with the highest incidence of infections: there are 264.7 diagnosed cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This rate grows slightly everyday.
For the whole country, the average incidence rate is less than half that in Helsinki: 112 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to THL.
In intensive care
On Friday, the official number of patients hospitalized due to coronavirus nationwide was 118. And the number of people in intensive care units was 32.
According to a preliminary estimate by THL, there are at least 5,000 people who may have already recovered from the disease.
To date, Finnish laboratories have taken samples from approximately 140,600 people.