Coronavirus latest: State of emergency lifted, cruise travel begins as restrictions lowered

• 7,108 lab-confirmed infections as of Monday (15.6), up by 4 since Sunday
• 326 deaths due to Covid-19 complications as of Monday, no increase since Sunday
• 22 people in hospital on Monday, three of them in intensive care
• 6,200 of 7,000-odd Covid-19 patients have recovered from the disease
• Former President Tarja Halonen tells paper US won’t lead way out of crisis
• Norway re-opens borders to Finland
• Drowning fatalities rise during coronavirus spring
• PM signals early end to emergency measures
• Firms ponder employees’ safe return to workplace
• Few tourists come by sea on first day of lowered restrictions

15.6 20:01 Travel across Gulf of Finland starts up as restrictions lifted

There wasn’t a deluge of passengers headed across the Gulf of Finland on Monday as coronavirus-related restrictions on travel between Finland and Estonia were officially lifted.

“This is the first time I’m on a business trip from Estonia to Finland since the crisis began. My clients are here and it’s important that I meet them face to face, said Karel Saar, an engineering firm CEO told Yle as he arrived to Helsinki. Read more here.

15.6 16:24 Gov’t lifts state of emergency, further relaxing restrictions

Government announced it is lifting use of Emergency Powers Act, which was implemented in mid-March to deal with the coronavirus epidemic. Finland will now return to normal conditions, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said at a press conference in Helsinki on Monday.

“Based on the epidemiological and legal assessments we received, it can be stated that the conditions no longer exist for the emergency measures to be in use. The Emergency Powers Act and its implementing regulations will be revoked,” Marin said.

Read more here.

15.6 9:40 Papers discuss possible lifting of emergency measures

The cabinet is meeting on Monday to review the need for emergency measures that are in force in Finland until the end of this month. The Turku daily Turun Sanomat is among the morning papers that look at what lifting measures imposed under the Act may mean.

After the government announced it is easing restrictions on travel to many nearby countries, Helsinki daily Helsingin Sanomat writes that the re-start of more normal travel is likely to create crowds at harbours and airports. Read the full daily roundup here.

14.6 18:15 Firms weigh workers’ safe return to office

Many firms are planning for the time when employees will return to work after the summer holidays and after spending much of the spring telecommuting. But they are also considering how to make it safe for employees to return to the office. Finland’s public health authorities are recommending a safety distance of two metres between people when they return to the workplace. This means that all employees will not be able to return to work at the same time, but some will have to continue working remotely if social distancing is to be observed. Read our full story here.

14.6 16:17 PM says emergency measures could end soon

The Emergency Powers Act invoked to deal with the novel coronavirus epidemic in Finland will remain in force until the end of June, but the statute could be lifted before then, according to Prime Minister Sanna Marin. The Prime Minister said on Sunday afternoon that the government will meet on Monday to consider whether or not to extend the emergency measures invoked by the statute to curb the spread of novel coronavirus in Finland.Read more about the PM’s comments here.

14.6 14:35 Crisis sees rise in spring drowning deaths

New statistics indicate that the number of drowning deaths this spring is already nearly double the number reported at the same time last year. So far this year, a total of 40 people have lost their lives in water- and ice-related incidents, compared to 24 last year and 19 in 2018.

According to the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (FSL) the partial lockdown caused by the coronavirus crisis inspired people to take to the open ice and seas during the spring, resulting in a number of water-related fatalities. Read more about it here.

14.6 12:35 Norway open to visitors from Finland

The Norwegian government has said that the coronavirus epidemic in Finland, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland is so well under control that there is no further need to restrict travel from these countries. The only exception to the relaxed rules has been Sweden with Oslo opting to retain curbs on cross-border travel with the Swedes. Read the full story here.

14.6 12:12 17 new coronavirus infections in Finland

Finland reported 17 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases on Sunday 14 June, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The total number of cases now stands at 7,104 with the death toll updated to 326 as of Sunday, one more than on Saturday.

14.6 11:07 US won’t lead way out of crisis, ex-President says

The coronavirus pandemic is the first crisis in which there is no expectation that the United States will lead the world out of the dilemma, according to former President Tarja Halonen. In an interview with daily Helsingin Sanomat, Halonen said that the pandemic has revealed a geopolitical shift.

“This is the first crisis where there is no belief that the United States will lead us out. But of course the enemy — or challenge — is different and the pandemic has hit the US hard,” Halonen said in the Sunday edition of the paper. Read our story here.

12.6 16:44 Gov seeks 25m in subsidies for shipping industry

The Finnish government is proposing nearly 25 million euros in support for shipping traffic, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Passenger ferries linking Finland to Sweden and Estonia, for instance, suffered a collapse in demand this spring due to travel restrictions.

The proposal would allow subsidies to both cargo and passenger shipping lines. Maritime deliveries are crucial to the Finnish economy, Transport Minister Timo Harakka said on Thursday. More details here.

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12.6 15:59 Gym customers file complaints over monthly fees despite closures

Finland’s consumer watchdog said it has received hundreds of complaints from gym goers who said fitness chains continued to bill them monthly during Finland’s coronavirus shutdown. Many gyms were closed for weeks this past spring, while some offered workout classes via video link. Our article is here.

12.6 15:29 Finland’s continued travel restrictions ruffle feathers in Sweden

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Friday that relations between Finland and Sweden remained strong, despite his country’s decision to keep coronavirus-related travel restrictions on its Nordic neighbour in place. Swedish interior minister Mikael Damberg said the decision was disappointing and caused some concern among those affected, but said it would not deteriorate overall relations between the two countries. The epidemic has hit Sweden harder than its Nordic and Baltic neighbours. Read more here.

12.6 9:26 Cottage sales boom slowdown

Our paper review examines business magazine Talouselämä’s reversal of other news reports claiming that the demand for summer cottages is increasing during the coronavirus crisis. Read more about that and other news from Finland here.

11.6 19:21 Some summer festivals may still go ahead

The Finnish government said on Thursday that outdoor events with more than 500 people will be allowed as of 1 July with certain restrictions. In April it had banned all events with more than 500 attendees through the end of July.

The Finnish festivals association welcomes the lifting of restrictions, but says most of its members have already written this summer off. However some large events, such as Tampere’s Blockfest, may still go ahead. More here.

11.6 18:27 Business lobby: 90% of foreign entrepreneurs in Finland in trouble

This week our podcast explores how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting people of foreign background in Finland. Hear it here.

11.6 17:43 Pandemic creates backlog for civilian service

Hundreds of young men have not been able to complete basic training for alternative civilian service this spring because of the coronavirus crisis, the association representing conscripts said on Thursday. As a result candidates’ stint of non-military service has been put on the back burner. You can read more about it here.

11.6 17:07 Amusements parks re-open

Tykkimäki Amusement Park in Kouvola was the first to reopen for the season on Wednesday. The Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki will open on Friday, seven weeks later than the scheduled opening date. Tampere’s Särkänniemi Amusement Park is to open the following day. The theme parks will follow precautionary measures such as limiting the number of admissions and maintaining a safe distance in queues for rides. More details here.

11.6 15:30 THL: Vast majority of Covid patients recovered

Of the 7,000-odd cases of Covid-19 which have been confirmed in Finland, an estimated 6,400 patients have recovered, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL. The number of infections in Finland has decreased, although there is daily variation in the figures, THL said at a conference hosted by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Thursday. Read the full story here.

11.6 14:10 Gov’t eases rules on cross-border travel, public events

Finnish residents will be able to travel to Baltic and most Nordic countries, Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo said during a press conference on Thursday. Ohisalo said that internal border controls would be lifted on travel between Finland and Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Norway and Iceland and that it would be possible to travel to these countries without a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

Restrictions remain in place with regard to travel to Sweden and Russia however. Event organisers will also be able to stage large public events from 1 July, subject to special arrangements. Read the full story here.

11.6 9:50 Papers cover citizens’ call for compulsory masks

Tired of conflicting messaging on mask usage from the government and health authorities in Finland, a grass roots group launched a citizen’s initiative last week calling for a law that makes the use of masks in public spaces obligatory. Dailies also provide heavy coverage of a controversial new book by a Finns Party think tank that received government funding for the project. Read the full daily roundup here.

10.6 20:38 Gov calls for billion-euro stimulus package

Finance Minister Matti Vanhanen has proposed that the state borrowing ceiling be raised to 150 billion euros due to the corona crisis.

The newly-minted minister defended the centre-left government’s record-large supplementary budget in Parliament on Wednesday. The supplementary budget totals a record 5.5 billion euros.

Vanhanen noted that some of the extra spending will go to repairing the damage done by the corona crisis and some to stimulating the economy. Under the plan, municipalities and healthcare districts will get a support package worth 1.4 billion euros, while about a billion goes to economic stimulus, 756 million will go to transport projects and another 300 million to corporate subsidies. Read more here.

10.6 16:24 HUS healthcare district may face €200m shortfall this year

The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS), which covers the region hardest hit by Covid-19, may suffer a deficit of 150–200 million euros this year. The healthcare district plans to use more digital services to overcome the fiscal shortfall and the backlog in appointments.

HUS’s CEO Juha Tuominen said on Wednesday that so far additional funding promised by the state will only cover about one third of the income losses. For more details on what this will mean for patients, read our article here.

10.6 12:28 HBO buys Finnish short film series on coronavirus experiences

The subscription-based TV network HBO has commissioned its first ever original Finnish production. The series, entitled Isolated (Eristyksissä in Finnish), comprises seven separate short films directed by seven Finnish directors on the subject of adapting to life during the coronavirus pandemic.

10.6 11:07 Finland’s divorce rate decreasing

Data collected from district courts around Finland suggests that the divorce rate, which had been believed to be spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, is in fact decreasing.

Read more from our story here.

9.6 19:09 Home sales fall by one-third but prices hold steady

The coronavirus crisis took a toll on Finland’s real estate market in May compared to the same time a year ago, according to the Central Federation of Finnish Real Estate Agencies. However, housing prices were not hurt by the coronavirus crisis, according to the Central Federation of Finnish Real Estate Agencies. Read more here.

9.6 18:00 Bank of Finland: Economy to shrink 7% this year

Economic activity in Finland will decline sharply as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Bank of Finland said in a fresh 2020-2022 economic forecast released on Tuesday.

According to the forecast, the local economy will contract by about seven percent this year. However the central bank projected growth of around three percent in 2021 and 2022, adding the disclaimer that the forecast involved an exceptionally large degree of uncertainty. Read more here.

9.6 17:45 Cinemas, film festivals to receive €1m in crisis stipends

Movie theatre operators and film festivals which have been hard hit by the coronavirus crisis are to share a one-million-euro support package from the Finnish Film Foundation, according to news service STT.

A total of 74 companies and organisations have been granted support. Some of the firms receiving stipends operate several cinemas. Companies that will get support include Bio Rex Cinemas as well as movie house operator Savon kinot.

Film festivals including Espoo Ciné, Helsinki film festival Night Visions and the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä also received a share of the support, according to STT.

9.6 12:58 Finland reports 24 new cases, one additional coronavirus death

Finland reported 24 new lab-confirmed novel coronavirus cases on Tuesday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL, bringing the running count to 7,025.

The agency also reported one new fatality from Covid-19, making the death toll 324. The number of people receiving hospital treatment was said to be 28, with four in intensive care.

9.6 12:50 Mixed signals over distancing in public transport

Guidelines provided by the public health agency THL on how to safely use public transport during the pandemic will not be written into law, according to Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka, as the advice is generally accepted by all public transport operators and no separate legislation is therefore required.

Research professor Hannu Kiviranta was involved in the drafting of THL’s instructions for public transport, and told Yle that the issue of how safe it is to travel is a “difficult question to answer”. Read more in our full report here.

9.6 10:05 Foreign students face uncertainty during crisis

Disrupted classes, a dire shortage of jobs and an uncertain future — students in Finland are grappling with the debilitating effects of the pandemic on their lives. Some of the worst-hit are international students struggling to sustain themselves on a tight budget. Summer and part-time jobs are often crucial to help cover expenses, but such opportunities have largely disappeared this year. Read more in an Yle News original report here.

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9.6 09:14 Calls for full reopening of border with Sweden and Norway

Municipalities and the local business community in Finland have called on the government to fully reopen the border with Sweden and Norway, as its continued closure is causing economic problems for Finnish Lapland, according to a report in local newspaper Lapin Kansa this morning.

Read the rest of our paper review here.

8.6 16:57 Nearly one-in-seven confirmed Covid-19 cases were healthcare workers

Some 949 out of Finland’s 7,001 confirmed coronavirus cases were diagnosed in health care workers, according to the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

The institute’s head of infectious diseases control unit, Taneli Puumalainen, attributed the high proportion of healthcare workers contracting the illness to the early stages of the epidemic, when Covid-19 testing was focused heavily on foreign visitors as well as workers in the healthcare sector.

In 2019 around 7.4 percent of Finland’s working-age population was employed in the health services industry.

THL said that none of the affected health care workers had died from their infections.

8.6 13:05 20 new coronavirus cases in Finland

Finland reported 20 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL. Monday’s cases bring the total to 7,001 and the death toll from the disease stood at 323 as of Sunday. That number was expected to be updated later on Monday.

8.6 11:45 Finnair extends furloughs to March 2021

Finland’s national airline Finnair announced on Monday that it intends to extend a programme of temporary layoffs caused by the coronavirus crisis to the end of March 2021, following the conclusion of codetermination talks last Friday.

The talks involved a total of around 6,100 employees in Finland.

8.6 09:20 Train congestion causing passenger concern

Tabloid Iltalehti reports on Monday that passengers on the Sunday afternoon VR service from Helsinki to Oulu were packed like “herrings in a jar”, with very little possibility of adhering to physical distancing guidelines.

Read the rest of our paper review here.

Read previous updates here.