NordenBladet — Around 38,700 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the past seven days, between 26 December 2021 and 1 January 2022, compared to around 19,600 new cases in the previous week. On 4 January 2022, the total number of confirmed cases of the Omikron variant was 363. The overall burden on hospital care has risen, while the need for intensive care has stayed at its high level.In the last 14 days (between 19 December 2021 and 1 January 2022), the incidence of new cases was 1048 per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 426 in the preceding two-week period. On 4 January 2022, the estimated effective basic reproduction number took a sharp turn upwards and was 1.15–1.3 with a 90 per cent probability.At the end of last week, the total number of patients in specialised healthcare was 205, of whom 153 were in inpatient care and 52 in intensive care. On 4 January 2022, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths reported to the communicable diseases register was 1599. In the last 14 days (21 December 2021–4 January 2022), a total of 104 deaths were reported. People over 70 years of age accounted for 76 per cent of the deaths.Reaching as high a vaccination coverage as possible and maintaining vaccination protection are crucial for controlling the epidemic as vaccination protects individuals and curbs asymptomatic community transmission. By 5 January 2022, 81 per cent of people in Finland who are 5 years of age or over had received at least one vaccine dose, 77.2 per cent at least two vaccine doses and 23.1 per cent three vaccine doses.Compared to the situation a week earlier on 29 December 2021, the intake of the first vaccine rose by 0.2 percentage points, the second by 0.2 percentage points and the third by 4.0 percentage points.The number of COVID-19 tests continues to be high, and positive test results have more than doubled in number. Between 26 December and 1 January, the number of tests performed rose above 147,200 and around 26 per cent of all samples tested positive, compared to 11.8 per cent in the previous seven-day period.The whole of Finland now matches the characteristics of a community transmission area.The epidemiological situation is monitored weekly. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare publishes the key monitoring information on the COVID-19 epidemic on a new reporting website.
NordenBladet — The advance voting period for the county elections is from 12 to 18 January 2022 in Finland and from 12 to 15 January 2022 abroad. Election day is Sunday 23 January 2022.During the advance voting period, voters may cast their vote at any of the general advance polling stations in Finland or abroad. On election day, 23 January, voters must vote at the polling station specified in the notice of right to vote sent to them. There are 900 general advance polling stations in Finland. They are mainly located at town halls, libraries and shopping centres. The total number of election day polling stations is 1,664. Information on the advance polling stations and candidates is available on the Electionsfinland.fi website. Municipalities will also inform their residents about the polling stations themselves.Abroad, advance voting will be arranged between 12 and 15 January. A possibility for advance voting will be provided in 94 places in 70 different countries. Some of the advance polling stations will be open only on certain days during the advance voting period. Eligible voters staying abroad during the elections may also vote by post.Residents of Helsinki and Åland will not vote in county elections Residents of Helsinki will not vote in the county elections, because the City of Helsinki continues to be responsible for social, health and rescue services in Helsinki. Another exception is Åland, which is not affected by the health and social services reform.COVID-19 epidemic will be taken into account in election arrangementsThe county elections will be held with the arrangements required by the epidemiological situation. The Ministry of Justice and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) will take the development of the epidemic into account in the practical election arrangements. According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, voting is a low-risk activity.The Ministry of Justice and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare have drawn up guidelines for election authorities on the safe conduct of elections during COVID-19. If local health authorities issue more detailed instructions, they will be observed. The Electionsfinland.fi website contains instructions for voters on maintaining health security at the polling stations during COVID-19. It is important to wear a face mask, use hand sanitiser and maintain sufficient physical distance from others at the polling station. Election officials will ensure safety at the polling stations and advise voters on how to follow the instructions. Special measures have been planned to enable voters placed in quarantine or isolation by a doctor or having respiratory symptoms to vote. Voters can contact the central municipal election board of their municipality to ask about the special arrangements. Eligible voters in county electionsPeople who reach the age of 18 years on election day at the latest have the right to vote in the county elections in their wellbeing services county. In addition to Finnish citizens, those citizens of EU Member States, Iceland and Norway who have a municipality of residence in Finland are also entitled to vote. Other foreign citizens are entitled to vote if they have had a municipality of residence in Finland for at least two years.The Digital and Population Data Services Agency has sent a notice of right to vote to all eligible voters. The notice was sent in electronic format to those eligible voters who have activated the Suomi.fi Messages service and given their consent for all official messages to be sent to them electronically.Proving identity at polling stationsVoters must present proof of their identity when voting at a polling station. Official photo IDs, such as a passport, identity card and driving licence, are accepted as proof of identity. The old cardboard driving licence is also accepted, if the voter can be identified from the photo and the election official can thus reliably verify the voter’s identity. Voters who do not have a valid proof of identity can obtain a temporary identity card free of charge from the police for voting purposes. Election officials may ask voters to briefly remove their face mask to verify their identity. Follow voter turnout onlineThe Electionsfinland.fi website will provide real-time information on the voter turnout during the advance voting period. Information on the number of advance voters in each wellbeing services county and in the entire country will be updated on the website every hour during the advance voting period.
NordenBladet — Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen will have a discussion with Germany’s new Minister of State for Europe Anna Lührmann on Wednesday 5 January. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be held remotely.In their meeting, the ministers will discuss a number of topical EU issues, such as the Strategic Compass, the rule of law, climate and energy, strategic autonomy, the single market and fiscal policy. The discussion will also touch on the EU’s relations with Russia and China and the situation with regard to migration at the border with Belarus.“The European Union must be a globally credible actor in security policy. Others cannot go over our heads in matters that concern us. In addition to making use of the means available to us, we need new tools. Finland’s objective is an ambitious Strategic Compass that includes a comprehensive, forward-looking hybrid toolkit,” Minister Tuppurainen says.Finland and Germany are strong, close partners on EU affairs, as evidenced by the fact that the previous bilateral meeting between Minister for European Affairs Tuppurainen and her German counterpart took place just a short time ago. Minister of State for Europe Lührmann’s predecessor Michael Roth visited Finland in mid-November.
NordenBladet — Finland’s objective is to increase labour migration and to combat the exploitation of foreign labour. The exploitation of foreign workers, which has come to light in recent years, has underlined the need for cooperation between different operators. A new advisory board appointed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will support efforts to stop exploitation of foreign workers and entrepreneurs.On 21 December 2021, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment appointed an advisory board on terms of employment and permit supervision of foreign workers and entrepreneurs for the period between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024. The advisory board is an expert body consisting of various authorities and labour market and industrial policy organisations. Its task is to promote cooperation in matters concerning the terms of employment of foreign workers and the residence permits of workers and entrepreneurs. The board also aims to improve the flow of information between the authorities, monitor the development of supervision of terms of employment and permits of foreign workers and entrepreneurs, and issue statements on these matters. “The exploitation of foreign labour is a phenomenon that must be eradicated through close cooperation between different operators in society. The new advisory board is an important step towards combating exploitation and raising awareness of phenomena related to it,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen. Advisory Board to include different stakeholdersThe board is chaired by Olli Sorainen, Senior Ministerial Adviser from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The members of the advisory board include representatives of the Migration and Police Departments of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and the Joint government coordinator against human trafficking.Other members include representatives from the Finnish Immigration Service, the assistance system for victims of human trafficking, Regional State Administrative Agencies, Helsinki Police Department, TE Offices, ELY Centres and Business Finland.Of the labour market and industrial policy organisations, the board includes representatives of Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland Akava, Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK, Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK, Confederation of Finnish Industries, Local Government and Country Employers KT, Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners MTK, Federation of Agricultural Employers MTA, Suomen Yrittäjät, Svenska lantbruksproducenternas centralförbund and Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation.
NordenBladet — In his blog post, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto commemorates the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.Today, the South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu is laid to rest. The news of the passing of Tutu on 26 December 2021 have deeply touched millions of people around the world.Desmond Tutu was one of the opinion leaders and activists who helped bring an end to apartheid, or racial segregation, in South Africa. After Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, Tutu worked closely with him, leading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa.The campaign against apartheid was global. Outside the South African High Commission on London’s Trafalgar Square, demonstrations went on non-stop for four years, from 1986 to 1990. I can still remember the elated atmosphere, with people chanting “Free-e-e-e, Nelson Mandela!”Desmond Tutu was a moral compass whose greatest hope was to achieve justice, equality and freedom. His unwavering commitment to these values led him to pursue them throughout his life, both nationally and globally. He – like Finland’s former President Martti Ahtisaari – was a long-serving member of the Elders, a group of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights.Tutu emphasised the role of women in decision-making and conflict resolution. While much work remains to be done here, we would be well advised to follow Tutu’s example.Today, many in Finland join the South African people in their mourning and pay tribute to the life’s work of Desmond Tutu, a religious leader and a statesman.Pekka Haavisto Minister for Foreign Affairs
NordenBladet — Finland’s presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers is coming to an end. Although the COVID-19 pandemic naturally affected event arrangements, solutions have also been found. For example, it has become commonplace to arrange remote and hybrid events, with recordings and reports produced for many events that can be used in various contexts, even after the presidency year ends. This documentation will effectively serve the continuity of the presidency and its impact on other future activities. The overarching theme of the year was sustainable development, viewed from an ecological, social and economic perspective.The programme of the presidency reflected a vision of Nordic cooperation that seeks to make the Nordic countries the world’s most sustainable and integrated region by the year 2030. This cooperation seeks to create a Nordic region that is greener, more competitive and more socially sustainable. Here are some selected excerpts from events and themes of the year organised by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.Sustainable development in educationThe first meeting of the Nordic Teacher Education Network was held in March, with Nordic teacher education institutes considering the prospects for establishing a Nordic network that would seek to improve the sustainable development skills of teachers at all levels of education.Details of the event: The Nordic Teacher education network’s online kick-off meeting on the topic of sustainable development and Nordic co-operationSustainable peace was also on the agenda when a seminar entitled Education for Inclusive Peace: the role of education and research in promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the Nordics highlighted the role of women in education and science, in relation to peace and security. A report of this event will be published in early 2022.Details of the event: Education for Inclusive Peace: the role of education and research in promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the NordicsA recording of the eventCulture across bordersIn 2022 the Nordic countries will implement Nordic Bridges, a major cultural programme in Canada that will continue to present Nordic art and culture internationally. The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture joined the Nordic Council of Ministers in launching an associated interaction between officials of the Nordic countries and Canada in autumn 2021 by arranging Culture and Arts Policy Dialogues between Canada and the Nordics (online). Canadian Heritage served as a local partner in Canada. The themes of the Dialogues were: Cultural Dimension of Sustainable Development and Green Transition in the Field of Culture; Moving Forward: Guiding Principles on Diversity of Content Online; and Export Culture: International Collaboration and the Mobility of People and Ideas. A report on the events will be published in early 2022.Nordic BridgesSeveral events promoted the operating conditions and competitiveness of the audiovisual sector over the year. In partnership with Nordisk Film & TV Fond (NFTVF), the Audiovisual Collaboration 2021 international discussion series was arranged in the spring to help strengthen links between industry operators and policymakers in the Nordic countries and Europe. Follow-up events will be held in February 2022, and a summary report of the discussion series will also be published in spring 2022.The role of sustainable development in architectural policy was a topic of the New European Bauhaus project launched by the European Commission. The Nordic perspective of the project was discussed through public workshops arranged jointly by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and Archinfo with a view to finding better ways of living in Northern regions.The reportPress release 10.3.2021(in Finnish/Swedish)A joint Nordic discussion on diversity in the performing arts was also part of the Reshaping horizons of hope – Theatre of the Future event held in May. The programme was part of the #StopHatredNow event week, and was linked to the project An inclusive cultural sector in the Nordics arranged during the Norwegian presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2017.Final report of the event (pdf)Intangible capital of indigenous peoples and borderless Sámi educationThe Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture is supporting cooperation related to the intangible assets of indigenous peoples. A conference was held in November on protecting the traditional knowledge and intangible property of Nordic indigenous peoples, such as the Sámi, and the Inuit of Greenland. The conference highlighted the perspective of indigenous peoples on key issues, and served as a starting point for increased Nordic cooperation to promote intangible rights to traditional knowledge and cultural expressions. Nordic cooperation will focus on how current intellectual property rights protect traditional knowledge and how shortcomings should be addressed.Details of the event: Conference on protection of Nordic Indigenous traditional knowledge and intellectual property Developing Nordic cooperation in Sámi education was also one of the objectives set by Finland for its presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. In partnership with the Sámi Parliament (Sámediggi), a Nordic forum on Sámi education was held in December at the Sámi Cultural Centre in Sajos, Inari. The forum provided an overview of the state of Sámi education in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Its themes included the impact of international borders on the Sámi language, the language rights of Sámi school students, the training of Sámi-speaking teachers, and the organisation of distance learning of the Sámi language. Participants assembled at the event included representatives of the Sámi Parliaments and Ministries of Education of Finland, Sweden and Norway, organisers of education and training, and researchers in Sámi education and training.Details of the event (in Finnish/Sámi)Main event combines education, culture and youth in the context of sustainable developmentThe Alla påverkar! [Everyone influences!] virtual conference in June was the main event of the Finnish presidency. The theme of the conference was education, culture and youth as promoters of sustainable development. The conference programme examined the approaches of various sectors to sustainable development, and how these sectors draw on and support one another in promoting sustainable development. Conference partners of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture included the Nordic Expert Group for Sustainable Development, the Finnish Observatory for Arts and Cultural Education, and young activists. Besides young adults, the conference brought together various sustainable development networks and teachers.The event was opened by Ministers Kurvinen and Saramo, and by Åland Minister of Education and Culture Annika Hambrudd. The conference coincided with the start of centenary celebrations of the autonomy of the Åland Islands on 9 June, which will continue until 9 June 2022. The themes of the centenary are democracy, peace and sustainable development.Event reports and illustrations (in Finnish/English)The conference also coincided with the launch of the Nord StarT climate change competition. This competition seeks to highlight the visions of Nordic children, youth and young adults, together with examples of how climate change can be mitigated. The final event of the competition will take place in February 2022.News on 11 June 2021: Joint Nordic focus on sustainable development in preparation of the Nord Start Climate Change CompetitionReflection on the future of Nordic language policy and cooperationThe Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture arranged a digital conference in the autumn entitled Nordisk språkkonferens in association with Hanaholmen Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre and the Svenska Nu network. The conference celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Declaration on Nordic Language Policy and discussed the future of Nordic language policy and cooperation. It was organised to coincide with a meeting of the Nordspråk network. The Declaration on Nordic Language Policy will be updated in 2022.Children and young adultsThe Nordic network for arts and culture in school and early childhood education met in the autumn in Lahti at the time of the International Children’s Culture Forum. This was the first time that the network had met in Finland, and discussion topics included environmentally friendly children’s culture and art education, addressing the environmental and climate anxiety of children and young adults through art, and the sustainable development of children’s culture.Promoting reading by children and young adults was one of the themes of the Finnish presidency. Together with Nordic Culture Point, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture arranged a spring webinar on the Nordic Bokslukaren [bookworm] reading promotion project.Details of the Bokslukaren project (site in all 5 Nordic languages)Nordic ministerial meetingsThe Nordic ministers of education, science and culture also held official meetings over the year. Ministers Andersson and Kurvinen hosted a Helsinki meeting of Nordic Ministers of education and science in October. Topics discussed at this hybrid meeting included the social inclusion of young people and Nordic scientific and research cooperation.At a November meeting in Copenhagen, the Nordic Ministers of culture adopted a joint declaration entitled “Art and culture as promoters of sustainable development”, noting that art and culture have an inalienable intrinsic value and much to offer in efforts to deliver the Nordic Council of Ministers’ vision of a Nordic region that is the world’s most sustainable and integrated region by the year 2030.News on 9 November 2021: Culture ministers: culture is a driving force for sustainable development (norden.org)The DeclarationThe Nordic heads of education and the permanent secretaries of ministries responsible for education also met in Helsinki during the presidency. Themes at a meeting held in November included the current state and future of Nordic cooperation, continuous learning, and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
NordenBladet — During the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced both light and darkness. A year ago we were able to start vaccinations, which have given us protection and security. That said, the virus is unpredictable, and the pandemic is unfortunately not over yet.Over the past year, many people have felt concern and sadness. Many have lost loved ones, worried about the health of their family members or fallen ill themselves. Many have lost their jobs or have been unsure of how they or their loved ones would get by.
But amidst the grief, worry and uncertainty, there have also been brighter moments. Thanks to vaccinations, society has been able to open up again and we have been able to meet each other safely. People have lent a helping hand when friends or strangers have needed it. Many have found joy in simple, everyday things. A crisis like this inevitably puts things into perspective.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone in Finland. You have shown flexibility and resilience, and have acted for the common good. You have been patient in the face of uncertainty. This year has not been an easy one. I hope that as the crisis continues, we can be kind and understanding towards ourselves and each other.
The COVID-19 situation in Finland is serious, and the Omicron variant is cause for great concern. The Government’s goal is to increase vaccination coverage and improve vaccine protection among the population. A great deal of work is being done throughout Finland to ensure that third boosters can be administered as soon as possible. Vaccines continue to be our most important tool in the global fight against the pandemic.
But as we work to ensure that we have enough vaccines and can deliver them fast enough, we must also do our part to increase vaccination coverage worldwide. No one is safe until everyone is safe.
If you have not yet been vaccinated, now is the time. Getting vaccinated is an act of responsibility and a way to protect yourself, your loved ones and all of society. By getting vaccinated, you can prevent our healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed. It is a question of solidarity. We all need to do our part to get out of this pandemic.
So far, Finland has fared better in the pandemic than many of our peers when it comes to the effects of the epidemic on health and the economy. By providing timely and adequate support to people and businesses and by introducing recovery measures, we have managed to soften the blows to our economy and boost our ability to recover from them. That said, there are still major risks and uncertainties associated with how the pandemic will evolve. With this in mind, we also need to make sure our economic policies can react as the situation requires, and we must not abandon growth-oriented policies prematurely.Managing the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to be a balancing act. We must be able to protect people’s health and avoid overburdening the healthcare system while also keeping society as open as possible. Decisions and restrictions must be expedient, proportionate and necessary. It is also clear that as the crisis drags on, society’s resilience will be put to the test.Despite rapid economic recovery during the pandemic, growth is expected to slow down in the coming years. Now is the time to improve our conditions for economic growth in the longer term. In an economy like Finland’s, economic growth is mainly based on skills, innovation and investments. Given this fact, in autumn of this past year, we appointed a parliamentary working group to explore ways to strengthen research, development and innovation over the long term.The Parliamentary RDI Working Group completed its work in December. In connection with this work, the parties in parliament made a joint commitment to the target of increasing Finland’s research and development expenditure to four per cent of GDP by 2030. As part of its work, the working group drafted a proposal on the guiding principles for developing the RDI system and the measures needed to achieve the 2030 target. The measures proposed by the working group are significant, and implementing them will be essential for the success of Finland’s economy. The stable and predictable implementation of the working group’s proposal will be at the heart of Finland’s economic policy in the years to come.Sustainable growth is also the most effective way to strengthen general government finances. Although performance both in general government finances and the debt-to-GDP ratio has been surprisingly favourable in recent months amidst rapid economic growth, our ageing population means that the longer-term outlook has not changed. Efforts to strengthen general government finances should continue and should focus above all on boosting growth and employment.
The backlogs in care, treatment and learning caused by the pandemic will require particular attention for a long time to come. The longer the crisis continues, the more important it is to ensure that the wellbeing backlog caused by COVID-19 does not become insurmountable. We must be able to address problems early on. If we fail to do so, we will pay a high human and economic price for it in the future.
In just over three weeks’ time, Finland will hold the first county elections in its history. In the county elections, people will decide on basic services that are important for their everyday lives. Until now, municipalities have been responsible for organising health, social and rescue services, but in future, this responsibility will be assumed by the wellbeing services counties.
There are many competent and motivated candidates running in the elections. I encourage everyone to cast their vote in January. Now is the time to decide on the future of health, social and rescue services. The county elections are about basic services, and the importance of these services has been further emphasised by the COVID-19 crisis. They are about making sure people can continue to rely on basic services.
Trust is the foundation of our entire society. Trust, and the ability to cooperate and agree on things together, are especially important in difficult times. People need to be able to trust that society will function in the midst of a crisis. People need to be able to trust that we can work together for the security, wellbeing and future of our nation. With this in mind, I would like to thank the opposition for the valuable support you have given to our Government in managing the COVID-19 crisis.
We are a society with many strengths. We are a skilled nation that has overcome many ordeals together. Finnish society is strong. It is particularly strong when we encounter hardships.
Internationally, Finland and Finns are held in high regard. Many people around the world see us as a leader. People trust Finns. Never before has our position been this strong.
Finland’s most important frame of reference is the European Union, which all European countries can seek to join. We have also strengthened our national security through comprehensive security and defence cooperation, which we will continue to intensify. In addition, we retain the option of applying for NATO membership. We should uphold this freedom of choice and make sure it remains a reality, as this is part of every country’s right to decide on its own security policies. It is one of the foundations of European security enshrined in the principles of the OSCE. We have shown that we have learnt from the past. We will not let go of our room for manoeuvre.
Whatever happens in our operating environment, Finland and the Finnish people will get through it. Next year will also be a time of both light and darkness. The whole Government and I will do everything in our power to ensure that the bright days outnumber the dark ones.
I wish everyone a safe and happy new year!Sanna Marin Prime Minister
NordenBladet — The Government has issued a decree amending section 58i of the Communicable Diseases Act to temporarily restrict the use of the COVID-19 passport. The COVID-19 passport cannot be used as an alternative to regional restrictions on public events and customer premises in the hospital districts of South Savo and North Karelia.The amendment to the decree will enter into force on Thursday 31 December 2021 at 00.00.By virtue of the decree, the effects of the COVID-19 passport will be temporarily restricted between 30 December 2021 and 20 January 2022, when it cannot be used as an alternative to regional restrictions on certain public events and customer premises.The decree will apply to all public events and customer premises that are subject to existing restrictions. Regional authorities will decide what restrictions are in place in their areas. Any questions on the restrictions should be directed to the Regional State Administrative Agencies. They also supervise compliance with the restrictions.The derogation to the use of the COVID-19 passport will apply to the areas of the hospital districts that meet the characteristics of community transmission areas. These include the following hospital districts: Helsinki and Uusimaa, Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Kanta-Häme, Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia, North Karelia, South Savo, East Savo, North Savo, Central Finland, Vaasa, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia, Länsi-Pohja and Lapland.This temporary regulation, necessitated by the exceptional epidemiological situation, will help in safeguarding people’s right to health and wellbeing by curbing the rapid spread of the disease. Improving the vaccination coverage is the most significant means of curbing the epidemic effectively.The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health instructs the Regional State Administrative Agencies to examine the restrictions on public events and customer premises in their areas of operation, especially as concerns low-risk events.
NordenBladet — The Government has amended the decree restricting the activities of restaurants and other food and beverage service businesses due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The restrictions on food and beverage service businesses that are necessary to prevent the spread of the epidemic will be introduced across the region of South Savo and in the region of North Karelia.The decree will enter into force on Friday 31 December at 00.00.Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in community transmission areas from 31 December at 00.00The restrictions for community transmission areas apply to the regions of Uusimaa, Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Kanta-Häme, Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia, North Karelia, Central Finland, Ostrobothnia, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia, Lapland, South Savo and North Savo.Serving of alcoholic beverages in all food and beverage service businesses will end at 17.00. The premises may be open to food and beverage service customers from 5.00 to 18.00. The restriction will also apply to restaurants that do not serve alcoholic beverages (e.g. cafes and fast food restaurants).Food and beverage service businesses that primarily serve alcoholic beverages may have only half of the normal number of customer seats in use in their indoor and outdoor premises. Other food and beverage service businesses are restricted to 75 per cent of their normal number of customer seats indoors.All customers must have their own seats at a table or similar in indoor premises. So far, businesses in community transmission areas that have required customers to present a COVID-19 passport have been exempt from these restrictions.Temporary changes to use of COVID-19 passport from 28 December at 00.00As from Tuesday 28 December, the use of the COVID-19 passport will not exempt food and beverage service businesses from the restrictions, as has been the case so far. Serving of alcoholic beverages in all food and beverage service businesses will end at 17.00. Food and beverage service businesses that primarily serve alcoholic beverages will be required to close at 18.00. Restaurants that mainly serve food may, however, remain open until 20.00, provided that the customers are required to present the COVID-19 passport.The restrictions on the use of the COVID-19 passport will be in force until 20 January 2022.Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in the region of Kainuu and in Åland from 31 December at 00.00There are no separate restrictions on the number of customers or on licensing and opening hours.The obligation to observe the general hygiene guidelines and to keep a safe distance applies in all regions.Even if the use of the COVID-19 passport will not exempt the businesses from the restrictions as has been the case so far, restaurants still have the right to require customers to present the COVID-19 passport at all hours.Exceptions to restrictions remain unchangedThe restrictions laid down in the decree do not apply to the activities of staff restaurants or to takeaway sales of food to customers. The restrictions on opening hours do not apply to food and beverage service businesses on vessels and aircraft that operate between Finland and other countries or abroad or to food and beverage service businesses that operate at distribution stations for liquid fuels.
NordenBladet — In its plenary session on 30 December, the Finnish Government appointed a ministerial working group to coordinate COVID-19 response and ensure efficient exchange of information across branches of government.As a preparatory body for the Government, the ministerial working group will discuss political choices and policy positions, matters to be decided at government plenary sessions and matters to be decided in ministries that cross administrative boundaries. The Government decided to create the ministerial working group in its negotiations on 21 December 2021. The ministerial working group is chaired by Krista Kiuru, Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services. Other members of the group are: Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä Minister of Education Li Andersson Minister of Science and Culture Antti Kurvinen Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (deputy Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist) Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Emma Kari Prime Minister Sanna Marin (deputy: State Secretary Henrik Haapajärvi) Other ministers will participate in the group’s work when matters falling within their mandate are being discussed in the group.Director General Satu Koskela from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will be appointed as Secretary General of the group.Each ministry will appoint a senior-level official to the group’s secretariat. Permanent experts to the group are the permanent secretaries of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice.