Summary: The uptick was driven by rising prices for petrol, diesel and home renovations.

Finland's rate of inflation, or the year-on-year change in consumer prices, rose to 2.2 percent in August, according to preliminary data published on Tuesday by Statistics Finland.
 The corresponding figure in July was 1.9 percent, and the latest figures continue this year's trend of a monthly year-on-year increase in Finland's inflation rate. The  rate also went up  by 2.2 percent in May, for example, and led to  predictions of post-pandemic  economic growth.
 Statistics Finland said that the uptick in the rate of inflation was due to a rise in the prices of petrol, diesel, detached houses and owner-occupied apartments as well as a noticeable increase in the cost of renovating detached houses.
 Meanwhile price rises were curtailed by drops in the costs of refundable prescription medicines, children’s day care and the average interest rate on housing loans and consumer credit, the number-crunching agency also revealed.
 In order to compile the consumer price index (CPI) that charts the changes in Finland's inflation rate, Statistics Finland collects about 19,000 prices on nearly 400 commodities from approximately 2,100 outlets.
 This data is supplemented with so-called cash register data, which provides about five million individual prices, as well as a further 1,000 items of price data gathered by centralised collection.

Finland's inflation rate rises to 2.2% in August


Summary: MP Jussi Halla-aho told tabloid newspaper Iltalehti that he will not be back in Parliament until 3 October, but would not comment further.

The former chair of the Finns Party, MP  Jussi Halla-aho , has not participated in any parliamentary sessions for over four weeks, tabloid newspaper Iltalehti has reported.
 IL wrote that Halla-aho has been absent from all nine of Parliament's plenary sessions since the end of last month, and during this time has also missed meetings of Parliament's Grand Committee — which discusses legislative, budget and treaty issues relating to the EU — as well as those of the Administrative Committee.
 The former Finns Party leader's absence has also been noted in the minutes of Parliament.
 Halla-aho confirmed to Iltalehti that he is on sick leave until 3 October, but he was not willing to comment further.
 Halla-aho last attended a plenary session on 20 August, when Parliament met to discuss the  deployment of the Finnish Defence Forces  for a security operation in the area surrounding Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan.
 In June, the then-leader of the populist Finns Party  caused a stir  when he unexpectedly announced that he was not planning to seek re-election to the role of party chair. Kirkkonummi MP  Riikka Purra  was subsequently  elected leader of the party  at a summer congress in the city of Seinäjoki on 14 August.

Former Finns Party leader on sick leave, paper reports


Summary: The sophisticated phishing operation led to hundreds of people in Finland being defrauded of an estimated total of 375,000 euros.

Police in Helsinki announced on Tuesday that more than 40 individuals were suspected of involvement in up to ten related scam operations which defrauded victims of an estimated 375,000 euros over the course of a year.
 The police's preliminary investigation into six of the cases revealed that the banking and personal data of hundreds of people were stolen by the scammers using a variation of similar methods. The stolen data was then used to apply for loans from financial institutions.
 Police believe the suspects are Finnish and Estonian, and that they obtained victims' banking information through fraudulent phishing messages sent in the name of companies such as Posti. The first wave of scam text messages were sent out in April 2020 and the most recent in the first few days of January 2021.
 Each of the ten cases are being probed as aggravated fraud, police added, and are in various stages of investigation.
 Fraud method carefully planned and "exceptionally complex"
 The suspected crimes were very carefully planned and executed, police said in a statement.
 For example, some victims  received a text message appearing to have come from national mail carrier Posti  informing them that they had received a package, and that they had to click on the link in the message to provide further details in order to complete the delivery process.
 The sensitive personal data was captured by the fraudsters when the victim opened the link in the text message and sought to confirm their identity using their bank identification information. This stolen data was then used to apply for bank loans in the victim's name.
 "The money obtained was then quickly transferred between different bank accounts and individuals to others," detective inspector  Matias Björklund  said in the police's press release. "In this way, an attempt was made to disguise the origin of the money. One individual could have opened up to ten accounts for this purpose alone. It also emerged that the perpetrators had contingency plans in place just in case any cash flow became disrupted in the midst of securing the proceeds of their crimes."
 Eventually, the money was withdrawn from ATMs in Finland and abroad, and was then delivered to pre-agreed locations from where it was picked up and transported onwards, the police added.
 "The method is exceptionally well-planned and complex. It took weeks before we fully understood how these very carefully coordinated crimes were carried out," Björklund said.
 Arrest leads to breakthrough
 Police said they began to untangle the web when a suspect was taken into police custody in Espoo on suspicion of using identity theft to fraudulently withdraw money from an ATM.
 About 4,000 euros in cash was found in the suspect's possession, which was subsequently seized by police. A bank card in the name of another suspect as well as other incriminating evidence were also seized.
 Police added that 12 suspects believed to have been involved in three phishing waves carried out during the autumn of 2020 applied for a total of 176 loans from several finance companies. Cash in excess of 80,000 euros related to these loans was then withdrawn from ATMs.
 Two people are suspected of having participated in a total of six different waves of the fraudulent operation.

Police: 40 people suspected in 'exceptionally complex' fraud operation


Summary: The new strategy is aimed at freeing up testing capacity and shifting more resources into diagnosing and treating other diseases.

Finland's government has approved an updated Covid-19 testing and tracking strategy which is aimed at reducing the volume of tests being carried out as well as improving tracking efforts.
 Under the updated strategy, testing will focus on people who have been exposed to the virus as well as unvaccinated symptomatic individuals and those who are vaccinated but at elevated risk from infection.
 This means that the government's previous recommendation that people who have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine should apply for a Covid test is no longer applicable, Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services  Krista Kiuru  (SDP) confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
 "Now the situation has changed. For those with strong vaccine protection, there is no reason to suspect that it will not be enough to keep the [Covid] infection at bay," the minister said.
 Instead, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has a short, two-word recommendation for people who have received both doses and develop symptoms of a respiratory infection.
 "Stay home," the ministry's head of department  Taneli Puumalainen  said.
 The new strategy comes into force immediately.
 Fully-vaccinated can still be tested
 Despite the updated strategy and recommendations, Kiuru emphasised that the government will still allow fully-vaccinated but symptomatic people to get tested if they wish to do so, citing the need for equal access to testing for all.
 "This is especially true for children, as there has been a debate about those under the age of 12, whether they should be tested anymore," Kiuru said.
 "Gaining access to a test is not intended to be difficult, but to be directed more appropriately," added Chief Physician  Mikko Pietilä  at Tuesday afternoon's press conference.
 Fully vaccinated people will in the future be tested as a lower priority group compared to healthcare workers, patients at elevated risk from infection and patients entering hospital or emergency care, Pietilä explained.
 The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health justified the change in strategy on the grounds that current testing and tracing efforts place a significant burden on the healthcare system and may eventually lead to a decline in the availability of certain services in some regions.
 Pasi Pohjola  of the ministry said that as vaccination coverage increases, the amount of staff and resources dedicated to testing and tracking can be reduced. However, he added that this is unlikely to happen "overnight".
 Increased role for home testing
 The ministry also recommended that fully-vaccinated people use home tests if they develop respiratory symptoms, although the veracity of these tests is still not clear.
 "The big question in the future will be whether people want to use home tests to ensure that they are fit for work, school, hobbies or to attend various gatherings," Kiuri said.
 One of the biggest threats associated with a possible rise in infections or a new wave of the pandemic is the potential emergence of new viral variants. Chief Physician Pietilä pointed out that these variants can be detected as soon as possible by testing.
 Therefore, although testing capacity will be reduced, the option to increase the levels of both testing and tracing will be maintained.
 In addition to the updated strategy, Kiuru also told the press conference that a proposal on the introduction of a Covid passport is expected to come before Parliament in the coming days.

Finland rolls out updated Covid testing, tracking strategy


Summary: Over one centimetre of snowfall was measured in Lapland before 9am on Tuesday morning, meeting the required criteria to be declared this winter's 'first snow'.

Finland's first snow of this winter officially fell on Tuesday morning, 14 September, as the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) measured over one centimetre of the white stuff before 9am - thereby meeting the required criteria.
 "In Salla, on the Värriötunturi Fells, we had one centimetre of snow in the morning. This means that the first snow to be recorded has officially arrived," FMI meteorologist  Ville Siiskonen  said.
 Snow flurries had covered the village of Näkkälä in Enontekiö, northwest Lapland, on Monday but because they fell after 10am, they  did not qualify  as the first snow of the winter season.
 Story continues after the photo.
 The scene in the town of Kemi, Finnish Lapland on Tuesday afternoon. Jarno Tiihonen / Yle
 Siiskonen added that while the first snow occurring in the month of September is not very common, it is  not unheard of  either.
 "Snow doesn't fall every year at this time. However, it is not exceptional," he explained.
 The snowfall in the region intensified throughout Tuesday morning and into the afternoon, and even spread further south as far as the city of Oulu.
 The regional Road Traffic Centre estimated that between 5 and 10 centimeters of snow had fallen in some parts, but no serious road accidents had been reported by Tuesday afternoon despite many motorists still driving on summer tyres.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Exactly 10 centimetres of snow had fallen in the town of Kemi by 4pm on Tuesday afternoon. Jarno Tiihonen / Yle
 Road conditions are particularly hazardous around the Rovaniemi, Tornio and Oulu areas, the FMI added.
 This winter's first sprinkling is unlikely to last long however, as temperatures in the region are expected to climb to 8-9 degrees Celsius by Wednesday afternoon.

Watch: Finland's 'official' first snow of winter falls in Lapland


Summary: Finland has strict rules on selling alcohol online.

Finnish EU policy has been on the agenda after Finance Minister  Annika Saariko  (Cen) signed a joint letter demanding tighter fiscal policy from other member states.
 The letter is an opening shot in a battle over a return to fiscal discipline rules after two years of lighter enforcement to allow states to borrow more to deal with the Covid pandemic.
 That has seen average state debt rise from 79 percent of GDP in 2019 to 94 percent in 2021, and the letter's signatories want to reverse that trend.
 "Reducing excessive debt ratios has to remain a common goal, not only because the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU obliges all Member States to avoid and correct excessive deficits," reads  the letter , which is published in multiple European newspapers.
 According to the Financial Times, the letter has been signed by Austria, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Latvia, Finland, Czech Republic, Denmark and Sweden.
 That it was not also signed by Germany brought criticism from  Erkki Tuomioja , an SDP MP and former Foreign Minister. Helsingin Sanomat  reports  that he took to Facebook to voice his discontent.
 "Finland has now fallen into the wrong crowd if the Finance Minister has added her name to the letter signed by eight "frugal countries'" demanding stricter fiscal policies that would endanger Europe's growth and employment. Is there a desire to seek distance from Germany, which didn't sign the letter, luckily enough?" wrote Tuomioja.
 Saarikko denied endangering economic growth, but said she thought it important that Finland joins efforts to set the stage for forthcoming debates on budget rules. She also said the main message was consistent with Finland's EU policies.
 Official delay
 All the papers are now covering a story  first reported by  Helsingin Sanomat about an official at the Minister for Health and Social Affairs who seems to have delayed answering questions about online alcohol selling for years.
 The parliamentary ombudsman reprimanded  Ismo Tuominen  for failing to answer the questions for two and a half years, but said it believed he had not delayed his response deliberately.
 Finland has highly restrictive laws on selling alcohol online, and the request concerned EU opinions given to the government on whether Finland's rules were compliant with EU laws.
 The documents requested  were marked  'limited', that is, only for a restricted audience. So the ministry had to obtain permission from the EU to publish them but that was received on 29 September 2017, just two weeks after the request was received.
 Despite that, the documents were only passed on in April 2020.
 The ministry says this was due to 'human error', and Tuominen was given a formal warning for not handing over the documents within the one month deadline.
 Warm October?
 As the evenings lengthen and the temperature dips in September, long-range weather forecasts can start to look depressing. But they are still a staple of tabloid reporting.
 Ilta-Sanomat's  latest effort  suggests that the end of September is likely to be cooler than average, but high pressure could make the conditions clear, crisp and pleasantly autumnal.
 In October, however, things might start to warm up. A new weather system in Europe could bring warmer air to Finland, offering higher temperatures.

Wednesday's papers: EU policy, alcohol sales and a crisp, clear autumn


Summary: The ownership stake transfers from the state's holding company to the state itself.

Finland's stake in a company pioneering 'fossil free' steel production has transferred from the state's holding company Solidium to direct ownership under the Office of the Prime Minister, because Finland now views the SSAB shares as a strategic asset.
 SSAB's plant in Raahe is currently Finland's largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions, but the company has said it aims to introduce 'fossil free' steel production at the plant in the coming years.
 SSAB has tested the new technology in Sweden, with good results. Finland's target is to become carbon neutral by 2035.
 "From a state ownership perspective it is important that Finland's biggest industrial source of carbon emissions converts operations to be lower carbon," read a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister. "For that reason the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Employment has now designated the stake as a strategic asset and the shares transferred from Solidium to direct ownership by the state."
 The company's turnover in 2020 was 6.5 billion euros, and the company employs some 14,000 people. Solidium has been the third largest single shareholder in the firm, with 6.3 percent of the shares and 8 percent of the voting shares.
 The company is listed on both the Stockholm and Helsinki stock exchanges.

Government takes direct stake in 'fossil free' steel firm


Summary: Marine archaeologist Minna Koivikko said she got goosebumps simply talking about the moment the relic was handed to her.

Over the weekend, Finnish Heritage Agency marine archaeologist  Minna Koivikko  enjoyed one of the highlights of her career when she was handed a lion's head sculpted from wood that was retrieved from an 18th century shipwreck.
 "It was the same feeling as holding your own baby. It's like the feeling that you're really on the verge of something miraculous," Koivikko enthused.
 The shipwreck was discovered decades ago off the south coast municipality of Kirkkonummi, at a depth of about 60 metres, but still very little is known about it.
 Story continues after photo
 The cathead was brought above the surface for the first time since the 18th century. Jouni Polkko, Badewanne.
 The well-preserved ship (referred to as the  Kasuuni wreck ) has remained a mystery to researchers, as it is not known to which country the 30m-long warship belonged, who sailed on it, nor whether any members of its crew survived when it sank.
 Over the weekend the carved lion's head was brought to the surface by volunteer divers from the non-profit group Badewanne, because the Heritage Agency doesn't have a team that can dive to the depths of the wreck.
 The carved head came from a part of the ship used to operate its anchors, the English term for it is 'cathead,' a long beam located on either side of a sailing ship's bow. Often, the ends of those beams were carved with the face of a lion or cat.
 Story continues after photo
 The cathead was still attached to its beam in 2005. Jouni Polkko, Badewanne.
 Koivikko was not sure why the beams had feline decorations.
 "That's a good question, one for marine mythology. I guess it could be because the cat has many lives," she pondered.
 The diving volunteers have been documenting shipwrecks in the Gulf of Finland for more than two decades. The gulf was referred to as 'Badewanne' during WWII.
 Koivikko said that it was a very memorable experience to see the retrieved artefact.
 "It was a legendary experience when it was brought to the surface. Then you could see hundreds of years of history in the daylight. That moment will be remembered for a long time. I even get goosebumps just talking about it," she said.
 Story continues after photo
 Measuring about 30x30cm, the decorative piece fell off its beam for an unknown reason.  Koivikko was not sure but thought the artefact could be made from oak. Jouni Polkko, Badewanne.
 Usually parts of shipwrecks are left in place on the seabed in the name of cultural heritage, but divers are able to photograph the wrecks for others to admire.
 However, a decision was made to take the lion's head as it had already fallen off its beam and onto the sea floor.
 The head has already been taken to a National Museum Conservation Centre lab for examination.
 "I hope the decorative head will provide some more information about the wreck," Koivikko said.
 There are plans to put the wooden lion's head on exhibit at the Maritime Museum of Finland in Kotka.

Mysterious 18th century warship artefact pulled from Gulf of Finland


Summary: However, the bank also noted Finland's state deficit levels remained large despite the economic growth.

In an outlook published on Wednesday, Danske Bank said Finland's economy was improving as the government continued to lift Covid-related restrictions and that businesses were able to operate "almost as normal."
 The bank raised its 2021 GDP growth forecast for Finland to 3.3 percent and a lower rate of 3.0 percent in 2022, due to a lack of skilled workers.
 The bank said Finland's estimated second-quarter GDP growth of 2.1 percent was nearing pre-pandemic levels, and added that the Finnish economy has "recovered more frontloaded than we have expected."
 "Retail sales have stayed at an elevated level and service businesses are doing much better than before. Manufacturing has continued to grow and capacity utilisation has increased. Business confidence indicators are positive. Surveys indicate that large companies in particular plan to invest more than last year. Construction as a whole is moving sideways, but housing construction has increased," the bank said in its outlook.
 Public deficit
 However, the bank also said that Finland's state deficit had remained large despite the economic growth. Citing the government's third supplementary budget, the bank said Finland owed 14bn euros this year, adding that the situation was not an improvement over last year.
 "According to the budget proposal, central government debt will rise to EUR 146 bn at the end of 2022. We expect public debt-to-GDP ratio to exceed 70% in 2021 and 2022. This will narrow fiscal policy space in coming years, even if Finland stays well below euro area average debt ratio," the bank's forecast read.

Danske Bank upgrades economic growth forecast


Summary: There are an estimated 780,000 completely unvaccinated people in Finland, according to THL figures, with the 25-29 age group least likely to have received even one dose.

There are an estimated 780,000 people over the age 12 in Finland yet to receive even one dose of a Covid vaccine, a situation which health authority THL has warned could escalate into an "epidemic" of the unvaccinated.
 Finland's Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) has said that  coronavirus restrictions will be lifted  once 80 percent of the 12-and-above population is fully vaccinated against the virus.
 However, the question of how authorities will deal with unvaccinated people when restrictions are lifted remains open.
 "It is important to discuss this in society so that we understand what is being done," THL chief physician and vaccinologist  Hanna Nohynek  told Yle. "There has been talk that vaccinated people cannot be held hostage by unvaccinated people."
 She added that little is known about the backgrounds of people who remain unvaccinated, as this has not been extensively studied in Finland, but THL figures have revealed that the most likely group to be completely unvaccinated were people in their mid-to-upper 20s.
 This may be due to their life situation, Nohynek said, as getting the vaccination may be simply challenging for some in the midst of a busy work, social and family life.
 "People of that age live a hectic life. If vaccines are not brought to them, then they might not get the vaccine for logistical reasons," she pointed out, adding that no age group is 100 percent vaccinated.
 Story continues after the graphic.

 Even among the over-75 age demographic, coverage is "only" close to 95 percent.
 "For example, older people may have health reasons that prevent them from taking the vaccine," she said.
 Men less respectful of health guidelines
 THL's figures also show that men are more likely to be unvaccinated than women, although the agency is still investigating if this gender difference is statistically significant or whether it is related to, for example, the demographic structure of each particular region.
 However, other studies do support the hypothesis that men are less likely to get the jab than women.
 "It is generally accepted that women are more likely to follow different health guidelines and men are more reluctant, on average," Nohynek said, adding that a refusal to be vaccinated sometimes stems from a belief that the person will never become infected.
 "There may be a lack of understanding of what the virus can do at its worst, leading to an erroneous decision, such as a person thinking that the virus will not affect them or that they do not need a vaccine," she said.
 In addition, the virus tends to be milder in younger people than in older people.
 "I would like people to consider what is their own probability of getting a serious illness. Young people can also get serious illnesses," Nohynek added.
 Smaller municipalities average less vaccine coverage
 THL's vaccine coverage figures, broken down by municipality, reveal that vaccine coverage tends to follow certain patterns depending on the size and population.
 The smaller the municipality, the more likely it is that vaccination coverage will be lower than the national average.
 In the town of Merijärvi, Northern Ostrobothnia, for example, just over 27 percent of people aged 25–29 have received the first dose of a vaccine. The town has a total population of just over 1,000 inhabitants.
 Vaccination rates for the same age group are also low in Oripää in Southwest Finland, which also has a population of just over 1,000, as well as in Padasjoki, in the region of Päijät-Häme, which has about 2,800 residents.
 In Oripää the vaccine coverage for 25-29-year-olds is above 35 percent, while in Padasjoki it is 37 percent.
 The figures can sometimes be explained by simple mathematics: If there are only a dozen people in the age group living in the municipality, the refusal to take the vaccine by just a few of them will skew the figures.
 However, according to Nohynek, the low vaccination coverage of small municipalities can also be explained by the fact that the nearest vaccination point is located far away, or it is only open for a short time.
 Exceptions to the trend
 THL's figures also show that there are notable exceptions to this trend.
 The town of Maalahti in Ostrobothnia, with a population of about 5,500 people, has the highest vaccine coverage for those aged 25–29: more than 84 percent.
 In the town of Puumala, Southern Savonia, the vaccination coverage of 16–19-year-olds is over 96 percent.
 An Yle survey conducted at the beginning of the year showed that people in small municipalities were, on average, somewhat more reluctant to take vaccinations than people living in cities.

THL chief doc: Society cannot be "held hostage" by unvaccinated people


Summary: The Green Party voted in favour of an initiative calling for the legalisation of cannabis at a virtual party conference at the weekend.

The Green Party has lost more than 50 members since the weekend, according to a report by news group Uutissuomalainen, after the party voted in favour of an  initiative calling for the legalisation of cannabis  in Finland.
 The initiative was approved by a very narrow margin of 183 votes to 181, and has sparked  widespread debate  over the issue in the days since the vote.
 Meanwhile, Uutissuomalainen also reported that the party gained just under 20 new members since the weekend, with party secretary  Veli Liikanen  confirming to the news agency on Wednesday that more people have left the party than joined in the first half of this week.
 Although reasons for the resignations were not provided in every case, Liikanen said he believed it was clear that most of those who left the party did so precisely because of the call to legalise cannabis.
 However, Liikanen told Uutissuomalainen that the number of resignations is still relatively small when compared to the remaining number of 7,900 members.

Greens lose dozens of members over call to end cannabis prohibition, news outlet reports


Summary: The newly discovered Finnish species is one of over 400 different window flies found worldwide.

A new species of fly, named  Scenopinus jerei , has been discovered in Finland.
 The species is a slender, 4- to 5-millimetre-sized window fly with a black-coloured haltere, which is the balancing organ of a two-winged fly.
 The fly species is likely to be an overlooked, boreal forest specialist living in the nests of cavity-nesting birds, especially those found in forest environments.
 There are about 420 window fly species worldwide, most of which live in hot and arid areas of the globe. The species found in Finland may have also adapted to living in dry habitats, such as animal nests, where their larvae prey on other insects.
 Research into the new species suggests it can be found all over Finland, especially in southern and central parts, but they are very few in number.
 As yet, there are no known reports of the fly being found outside Finland.
 Existence suspected for 20 years, but research work only just completed
 The existence of the fly species has been known for about twenty years, but at first it was misdefined as being unknown.
 That was until  Jere Kahanpää , a researcher with the Helsinki Museum of Natural History, began to research the species which eventually led to it being officially recognised with the scientific name  Scenopinus jerei .
 The name derives from Kahanpää's first name, in recognition of his central role in the discovery of the species.
 The official scientific description was prepared by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and the Zoological Museum of the University of Turku.

New species of window fly found in Finland


Summary: A Covid passport scheme could be on the way next month, but it may not be around for long.

National daily  Helsingin Sanomat follows up  a  Tuesday report  on Covid passports with more detail on the proposed scheme.
 According to the paper, the government plans to introduce the passport scheme at the beginning of October. It would apply to all Finnish residents over the age of 12.
 A draft government bill seen by HS says the passport scheme would use the same EU Covid-19 certificate currently in use for international travel. The certificate shows proof of vaccination status, negative Covid test result or recent recovery from the virus.
 "A coronavirus pass could be required at restaurants, nightclubs and public events, gyms and other indoor sports or exercise facilities, swimming pools and spas, dance halls and group recreational facilities, amusement and theme parks, indoor zoos, indoor playgrounds and playgrounds, museums, exhibition halls and other similar cultural facilities, among others," the draft legislation states, according to HS.
 Parliament would need to vote on the bill before it comes into force, meaning its introduction could be delayed from early October.
 HS also reports that the Covid passport scheme could be short-lived, as the government currently intends to lift all coronavirus restrictions once 80 percent of over-12s are fully vaccinated against the virus. That milestone could be reached in late October.
 The British government recently performed a U-turn on introducing Covid passports after opposition from Conservative MPs, while last week Denmark, an early adopter of the passes, scrapped its scheme altogether.
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 Fewer ex-MPs claiming earnings adjustment allowance
 Tabloid Iltalehti reports  that the number of former MPs claiming adjustment allowances has fallen to a record low after a reform in 2019 that saw the conditions of the payments tightened.
 In August 2019 there were 57 ex-lawmakers claiming the payments. That number fell to just 26 this year, and is likely to further decline to 16 next year, Iltalehti writes.
 The adjustment allowance is now paid to former MPs for up to three years after they leave office. After reforms in 2019, it takes into account their earnings and capital income after they stand down or fail to be re-elected.
 All 16 of the former MPs who will still claim the payments next year are aged 59 or older, and are eligible to receive the adjustment allowance until they reach retirement age at 65.
 The new allowance replaced the previous adjustment pension, which was paid to ex-MPs from the time their parliamentary career ended until they reached 65. This led to situations where many were paid unconditional unemployment benefits for long periods, Iltalehti says.
 The old system did not take capital earnings into account, the tabloid writes, meaning some wealthy ex-MPs were able to claim the adjustment pension while receiving significant sums from other passive income sources.
 Tampere cuts parking
 New residential buildings in Tampere will have fewer parking spaces than before, according to  Pirkanmaa local Aamulehti.
 The paper reports that the city programme of new mayor  Anna-Kaisa Ikonen  (NCP) will see the statutory number of parking spaces reduced for new buildings in the city centre and along public transport routes, as well as for student and public housing.
 This means a new apartment block in Tampere's city centre will have 31 parking spaces for a building of some 4,400 square metres, Aamulehti writes.
 Kirsi Koski , CEO of Tampere student housing foundation TOAS, told the paper she welcomed the move, saying only half of TOAS-built parking spaces were used by students.
 "When parking spaces are obligatory and compulsory, many car-free residents have to pay the cost of building them as part of their rent," she said.
 Helsinki transport strike
 Swedish-language Hufvudstadsbladet  is among the papers following a strike by tram and metro drivers in Helsinki taking place on Thursday and Friday.
 The drivers say that a restructuring scheme planned by transport authority HKL does not take into account agreements between city management and unions made earlier this year.
 Commuter  Petra Björk  told HBL that while the strike was "annoying," she understood the reasons behind it.
 "People must be able to keep their jobs," she told the paper while on her way to Matinkylä in Espoo.
 While the strike action affects metro and tram services in Helsinki, trains and buses are still running.
 "I think the bus will take me all the way, unlike the metro. That's good, at least," Björk told HBL.

Thursday's papers: Covid passports, MP benefits, parking cuts and travel strike


Former Finns Party leader on sick leave, Iltalehti reports


Summary: Finland's employment rate of 72.8 percent in August was the highest level since the pandemic began.

Finland's employment rate trend rose to 72.8 percent in August, according to Statistics Finland's latest Labour Force Survey, with 104,000 more people in employment compared to the same month last year.
 This is a very slight improvement on the  numbers from July , when the rate hit 72.7 percent. That was then the highest level since February 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic first began to impact the Finnish economy.
 The latest increase equated to 59,000 more employed women and 44,000 more employed men, the number-crunching agency's data revealed.
 The latest figures also show that there were 33,000 fewer unemployed people this year compared to August 2020, with the unemployment rate dropping to 7.6 percent.
 By the end of August, a total of 281,000 people were registered as unemployed jobseekers at nationwide employment and economic development offices or in local government pilot projects.
 The regions of Ostrobothnia, Southern Ostrobothnia and Pirkanmaa saw the sharpest decreases in joblessness, while Kainuu, Central Finland, Häme and Uusimaa only saw very small drops in the local unemployment rate.
 Employers' group foresees labour shortages
 Despite the latest increase in the employment rate, lobby group the Technology Industries of Finland noted in a press release that Finland faces a skilled labour shortage over the coming decade that could undo the benefits of projected economic growth.
 As an example, the group cited a recent report which found that the tech industry will need 130,000 skilled specialists over the next decade — or about 13,300 per year.
 Many its subsectors, including metal processing and IT, will need to recruit skilled workers — the majority from abroad — to plug the gap caused by Finland's ageing population. If this does not happen, the group noted, the rate of economic growth will not be sustained.
 "The indisputable fact is that, due to the ageing population and low birth rates, the working-age population will fall sharply in the coming years and there will not be enough workers in all sectors," Executive Vice President  Minna Helle  wrote in the press release. "If we want to ensure economic growth, welfare services and living standards, our only option is to facilitate labour migration in many different ways — and quickly."
 Yle News' podcast All Points North looked into the challenges facing skilled workers coming to Finland. You can listen to the full podcast using the embedded player here, via Yle Areena, Spotify or Apple Podcasts or on your usual podcast player using the RSS feed.

Finland's employment rate hits 72.8%, but lobby group warns of skilled labour shortages


Summary: Restaurants and cultural events, for instance, may require guests over age 12 to show a pass. However, its use may be negligible if restrictions are loosened next month.

The government will submit a proposal to Parliament on amending the Communicable Diseases Act. The proposal deals with the domestic use of the EU digital coronavirus certificate, as well as entry regulations.
 The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health was to have held a press conference on Tuesday morning, but it was postponed.
 However, the news agency STT reports that the government has approve the long-awaited domestic use of the coronavirus pass.
 According to Yle sources, private companies will be allowed to require a valid coronavirus pass for entry by anyone over 12 years of age in areas where restrictions are in effect.
 For example, restaurants, public and cultural events, and hobby organisers may require customers to show a pass for entry. If so, they would not need to follow other restrictions on gatherings that might be in force in the area.
 In practice, the EU coronavirus certificate, which is already available via the official health site My Kanta, will serve as a coronavirus pass. The document certifies if an individual has had a complete coronavirus vaccination series, a recent negative coronavirus test result, or has had the illness.
 Event organisers can use an app to read the QR code of the certificate on the phone screen or on paper, and instantly approve or reject entry. The customer's personal or health information is not displayed to the company. Antti Kolppo / Yle
 Bill behind schedule, may become moot anyway
 The significance of the coronavirus pass may ultimately be negligible. The government has promised to lift restrictions as early as October if the target of 80 percent vaccine coverage among people aged 12 and over is achieved. As of Monday that figure was 66.6 percent.
 The bill is behind schedule, as it was to have been presented to Parliament in mid-September. Due to parliamentary proceedings, implementation may be delayed until mid-October. The events industry has been calling for the use of Covid passes for months.
 The coronavirus pass could however be useful if the epidemic situation worsens again, and restrictions have to be reintroduced.
 Free testing for unvaccinated minors, others must pay
 According to the proposal, testing of unvaccinated minors aged 12-17 will be free of charge from public health clinics. Other unvaccinated people will have to pay for the testing themselves via private healthcare providers.
 According to government sources, the primary aim of the pass is to allow events to re-open safely, not to increase vaccine coverage. However, anyone who can currently take the vaccines is encouraged to do so.
 The coronavirus pass is to be added to section 58 of the Communicable Diseases Act, which defines measures related to the high risk of infection.
 Companies that do not use the coronavirus pass for entry must comply with any existing safety restrictions such as social distancing or limits to capacity and/or opening hours.
 The use of the coronavirus pass is to be limited to private companies, as no one can be prevented from accessing public services such as libraries, museums or swimming pools. This would have caused constitutional problems.
 Finland will not make any changes to entry procedures for now. Russian passengers at passport control at Helsinki Airport. Jani Saikko / Yle
 No changes to cross-border entry so far
 At the same time, the government will also make a proposal on health safety, as the law expires in mid-October.
 No changes are being made to current border practices, which are to be extended until the end of the year.
 Travellers from high-risk countries does not need to take a coronavirus test in Finland if they have a certificate proving a complete series of vaccinations or having had coronavirus within the previous six months. In other cases, testing will be mandatory.
 In its updated coronavirus strategy, the government said that border security measures will continue at least until 80 percent vaccine coverage is achieved.

Long-delayed Covid pass approved, use limited to companies in areas with restrictions


Summary: Closing times in the capital have been extended to midnight while regions where new case numbers are at the lowest level will ditch restrictions altogether.

Bars and restaurants get some more breathing room across the country from Thursday, following a summer which saw the reintroduction of closing time and capacity restrictions.
 Areas in the community transmission phase of the government's three-tier pandemic assessment model will finally see bars and restaurants stay open until midnight with alcohol service allowed until 11 pm. In addition to Uusimaa, other areas currently classified as being in the community transmission phase are Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia, Ostrobothnia and South Ostrobothnia.
 In regions in the acceleration phase such as Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme and North Savo, bars will be able to keep the party going for two hours longer, with alcohol service ending at 1 am and doors shut an hour later.
 The regions of Åland, Central Finland, Lapland and North Karelia, which are classified as baseline-stage areas, will see all restrictions lifted. This means that bar and restaurant owners will no longer have to ensure that there is a seat for each customer.
 The updated regulations will be in force until the end of October.

Bar and restaurant restrictions to ease from Thursday


Summary: The film was the biggest winner of the night at 'Finland's Oscars', taking home seven awards

The biopic  Tove , directed by  Zaida Bergroth , has won the award for Best Picture at the Jussi Awards, Finland's equivalent of the Oscars.
 The film follows the early adulthood of author and artist  Tove Jansson , best known around the world as creator of the Moomins.
 This year's Jussi Awards marked the first time that all five films competing for Best Picture were directed or co-produced by women.
 Other winners included  Ensilumi , a film about an Iranian family seeking asylum in Finland and  Aalto , a biopic about the famous architects  Alvar  and  Elissa Aalto .
 Tove wins big
 Tove , which did not make the shortlist for the US Academy Awards Best International Feature Film award, was recognised in seven categories at Wednesday night's awards ceremony.
 Story continues below.
 Tove, Any Day Now and The Games People Play all won at Wednesday's Jussi Awards Sami Kuokkanen / Helsinki-filmi , Sami Kuokkanen / Elokuvayhtiö Aamu , Vilja Harala / Tuffi Films
 In addition to Best Picture, the film won awards for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup Design.
 The film's star  Alma Pöysti  took home the award for Best Actress for her depiction of the famous author's life in World War Two Helsinki.
 Tove 's director Bergroth was also awarded, winning the prize for Best Director.
 The best of the rest
 Best Actor went to Iranian actor and director  Shahab Hosseini  for his role in  Ensilumi  - called  Any Day Now  in English - which tells the story of an Iranian family seeking asylum in Finland.
 The film's director, Finnish-Iranian  Hamy Ramezan , won the Nordic Film Fund award for direction and screenplay.
 The night's other winners included  Seurapeli  - released in English as  The Games People Play  - directed by  Jenni Toivoniemi .
 Story continues below.
 The director of Best Documentary Lady Time bought an apartment full of someone else's belongings J. Pulkkanen
 Toivoniemi won the Best Screenplay award for her film about the complex relationships that come to the surface when a group of friends spend a weekend together at a cabin by the sea.  Seurapeli  actor  Samuli Niittymäki  won Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.

 Another biopic about a Finnish icon,  Virpi Suutari 's  Aalto ,won Best Original Score for its music composed by  Sanna Salmenkallio , while the film's editor  Jussi Rautaniemi  took home the award for Best Editing.
 Also winning awards on the night were  Teräsleidit (Women of Steel)  Best Supporting Actress  Saara Pakkasvirta  and short film director  Aleksi Salmenperä .
 Best Documentary went to  Neiti Aika (Lady Time) , directed by  Elina Talvensaari . The film follows Talvensaari's experience of buying an apartment full of a dead woman's belongings.

Tove Jansson biopic takes best picture prize at Jussi Awards


Summary: A new report commissioned by the government has urged lawmakers to clamp down on food advertising to under-18s.

Adverts for sweets, crisps and chocolates should face restrictions in order to limit their influence on children, a study commissioned by the government has concluded.
 The EPELI study carried out by researchers from Helsinki and Tampere universities, as well as the Finnish Environmental Institute (Syke) and private consultancy firm Ahjo Communications, mapped marketing campaigns for unhealthy foods in Finland, with 13-17-year-olds particularly at risk of being influenced by it, the researchers said on Thursday.
 The study recommended that the Food Act should be amended to include new and stricter restrictions on marketing unhealthy food to under-18s online.
 Anne Repo , marketing director of Finnish confectioner Fazer, reacted to the findings with concern. She told Yle it would be "quite challenging" if the government pursued a strict age limit on adverts for sweets and chocolate.
 What did the study find?
 According to the researchers, regulating the marketing of unhealthy food improves child health and promotes not only the interests of the child but also boosts the health of the wider population over time.
 "We need a clear playbook to reduce the exposure of minors to unhealthy foods on social media. Protecting the health of children and young people is our adults' responsibility," State Secretary with the Ministry of Family Affairs and Social Services  Eila Mäkipää  said.
 The study also found that poorer households and those with a lower education level tended to purchase a higher proportion of unhealthy foods. For this reason, tighter regulation could also promote better health equality, said project leader  Mikael Fogelholm , Professor of Nutrition at the University of Helsinki.
 Story continues after photo.
 Lawmakers should focus on restricting social media advertising, the study said Jari Kovalainen / Yle
 Social media marketing campaigns, online games and food packaging were areas of particular concern, the study said, with the researchers finding that current guidelines on marketing to children prepared by the Consumer Ombudsman and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in 2015 were outdated.
 "If I were 8 years old, I probably wouldn't know a Tiktok from an advertisement. I'm no longer influenced by social media, but when I was younger, when I watched a YouTuber, I'd be like: "Mum, can you buy that?" seventh-grader  Anastasia Yeremkina  told Yle.
 "The marketing environment has been revolutionised since the publication of our joint recommendation. However, concerns about the marketing of unhealthy foods to children remain the same. The next step would be to achieve more effective legislation and self-regulation," said Consumer Ombudsman  Katri Väänänen .
 The researchers also recommended that Finland introduce a new nutrition guidance system that would highlight healthier options for consumers. More effective nutritional profiling would also help policymakers working on things like so-called "sin taxes" on unhealthy food and drinks, the researchers said.
 'Seems excessive'
 Marleena Tanhuanpää , director of the Finnish Food and Drink Industries' Federation, told Yle that the food industry takes marketing to children seriously.
 "We believe that marketing in Finland is quite responsible and there are hardly any excesses. In that sense, going straight to legislation seems rather excessive and unnecessary," she said.
 Tanhuanpää also questioned the feasibility of lawmakers deciding what is and is not "unhealthy".
 "It would also mean a huge need for definition, starting with what is defined as unhealthy. After all, the diet as a whole also includes gourmet products," she added
 Fazer marketing director Repo told Yle that she would rather companies self-regulate than face legal obligations.
 "The best way forward would be to review and strengthen self-regulation guidelines among the industry and all follow the same guidelines," she said.
 Internal food industry guidelines currently direct companies to reduce advertising to young children.
 "In Finland, companies have been paying particular attention to this, especially for younger children. Perhaps this group of early teens and teenagers has been slightly forgotten. They have, as it were, been left unprotected or at least less protected," said  Elina Närvänen , Assistant Professor of Services and Commerce at the University of Tampere.
 The findings released on Thursday are preliminary results. The final report is due to be released in October.

Government report urges ban on social media junk food adverts for kids


Summary: The comments were made by MP Juha Pylväs during the Centre Party's summer congress but the politician has since apologised.

Police in Ostrobothnia have closed an investigation into comments made by  Juha Pylväs  due to insufficient legal grounds to suspect the Centre Party MP of breaking the law.
 During the speech, which took place at the party's summer congress in the city of Seinäjoki on 25 August, Pylväs referred to asylum seekers as "surfers living off social welfare."
 The Oulu politician, who is chair of the party's parliamentary group, has since apologised for his choice of words via a  post  (link in Finnish) on social media.
 Following the incident, a  request  for an investigation was submitted to the police. However, the Ostrobothnian police department has now ruled that the threshold to suspect that a crime had been committed was not reached.
 According to a statement explaining the decision, the police found that the phrase “surfers living on social security” does not incite hate against a certain ethnic group nor can it be legally classed as a threat, slander or insult.

Police: No investigation into MP's 'social welfare surfers' comments


Summary: Gaming firm Supercell tells All Points North that companies in Finland should loosen demands for native Finnish fluency.

This week Yle News' All Points North podcast revisits the topic of  residence permit hurdles , following news of measures intended to speed up the immigration process.
 You can listen to the full podcast using the embedded player here, via  Yle Areena ,  Spotify  or  Apple Podcasts  or on your usual podcast player using the  RSS feed .
 Article continues after audio.
 "Next summer we will launch a fast track for growth entrepreneurs and their family members. It means that the person submits an electronic permit application and then the decision on it will come in two weeks," Minister of Employment  Tuula Haatainen  (SDP) told APN.
 The move follows thegovernment's aim to double the number of work-based migrants by 2030
 "This government has faced the music and sees what the situation is. We need people to come here to work from abroad—from outside the EU—and we also see that there are many bureaucratic hindrances, things that make these processes so slow," Haatainen said.
 Gaming company Supercell, which has been vocal about Finland's slow-moving immigration bureaucracy hampering foreign recruitment, said its workers have sometimes been forced to wait more than half a year for Migri to issue a permit.
 Beyond the red tape, Supercell's legal counsel,  Markku Ignatius , also called on Finland to become more open-minded towards newcomers who are learning Finnish.
 "I would argue that there are a lot of jobs here in Finland where the number one criteria isn't necessarily that you are a native Finnish speaker," he said. "I would encourage companies to be bolder in terms of recruiting that first maybe-not-excellent Finnish speaker."
 Free hobbies, food waste and niche sports
 This week Finland is rolling out free children's hobbies in most municipalities in an effort to give every school kid the opportunity to try an activity.
 Anna Puhakka , who runs the programme in Vantaa, said the city was offering everything from art and dance to robotics, gaming and aviation.
 "The idea is to create hobby opportunities that aren't restricted because of your financial background," she explained.
 As it's food waste awareness week in Finland, APN also investigates how much of your food ends up in the trash.
 And did you know you can play Aussie rules football, rugby and even hurling in Finland? We find out what it's like to establish a minority sport far from home.
 Join the conversation!
 This week's show was presented by  Zena Iovino  and  Egan Richardson . The producer was  Mark B. Odom  and the audio engineer was  Panu Willman .
 If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, just contact us via WhatsApp on +358 44 421 0909, on our Facebook or Twitter accounts, or at yle.news@yle.fi and allpointsnorth@yle.fi.

APN podcast: "I would encourage them to be bolder"


Summary: The new model would increase income-related family leave to about 14 months and is expected to come into effect from 1 August 2022.

The government has submitted to Parliament a proposal for reforming Finland's family leave model, which would increase income-related family leave from just under 13 months to about 14 months.
 The aim of the  reform  is to "increase the wellbeing of children and families and to strengthen gender equality and non-discrimination in working life and in the daily lives of families," according to a  press release  from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
 "The reform aims for a more even distribution of family leave, especially so that fathers would exercise their right to family leave more than at present," Minister of Social Affairs and Health  Hanna Sarkkinen  (Left) wrote on Twitter.
 The reform further sets out to achieve more flexible and longer family leave, as well as equal daily allowance quotas for both parents, some of which are transferable.
 Each parent would receive 160 allowance days — an increase of 43 days each — with parents able to shift a maximum of 63 parental benefit days of their quota to the other parent.
 Parents would therefore have an equal right to a daily allowance regardless of the parent's gender, whether he or she is a biological or adoptive parent, or a resident or non-resident parent (referring to a child's official address after parents separate or divorce).
 The parental allowance could be used until the child turns two, and the allowance could be used in several parts. A parent who works part-time for up to five hours a day could also receive partial parental allowance, under the terms of the reform.
 The new model is expected to come into effect from 1 August 2022.

Government submits family leave reform proposal to Parliament


Summary: The establishment of the independent and autonomous office is expected to be signed into law early next year.

Finland's government has proposed creating a National Rapporteur to tackle the issues of domestic abuse and violence against women.
 The independent and autonomous office would also monitor the functioning of national legislation and the implementation of international obligations.
 The rapporteur would work with the office of the Equality Ombudsman, and would therefore also be entitled, under certain conditions, to access confidential information.
 Minister of Justice  Anna-Maja Henriksson  (SPP) said that violence against women is a serious human rights and equality problem in Finland.
 "It is important that an independent office is established in Finland, which monitors how effective our legislation and work against domestic violence is," Henriksson said. "The aim is to be able to tackle violence against women and domestic violence more effectively and to improve the position of victims."
 With regard to domestic abuse, the rapporteur's duties would also include tackling violence against men and boys.
 The law allowing for the creation of the role is expected to enter into force in early 2022.
 The establishment of the role of National Rapporteur on Violence against Women is part of Prime Minister  Sanna Marin 's (SDP) programme for office.

Government proposes creation of dedicated office to tackle domestic violence


Summary: An Yle investigation has found that many young employees are left alone on evening and night shifts and have to deal with drunk customers, sexual harassment or emergency situations.

Young people working in the service industry in Finland have been subjected to threats of violence, murder and rape by customers, according to the results of an Yle investigation.
 The probe also found that many young employees of fast food restaurants and service stations work alone during evening and night shifts, and often have to deal with drunk customers, sexual harassment or emergency situations on their own, with very little support available.
 Helsinki-resident  Meeri*  told Yle that when she began working at a busy service station at the age of 18, she was "horrified" to realise that she would have to work evening and night shifts on her own, especially considering she had received relatively little training.
 Her fears were well-founded, as she was soon calling the police on a regular basis during the late shifts.
 "I don't understand how such burdens can be placed on one person, especially on an 18-year-old girl," the former Shell service station employee said.
 In addition to people driving away without paying for the petrol or diesel they had just pumped into their vehicles, Meeri recalled how alcohol and tobacco products were frequently shoplifted. She also had to endure abuse from intoxicated customers, without a guard being present at the station during late-night hours or an alarm button to alert the police.
 Meeri is far from the only young person to have experienced working an evening or night shift alone. A recent survey conducted by the service sector union PAM found that 23 percent of service workers under the age of 25 had worked either completely or at least most of the working day on their own.
 Following on from the PAM survey, Yle asked young people about working conditions in the service sector via an online survey. The 350 respondents reported issues including being excessively busy, poor management standards and unpaid overtime.
 Many of the respondents also reported feelings of insecurity experienced at work, which some felt especially during evening and night shifts when they were left alone.
 Yle conducted follow-on interviews with eight of the survey's respondents, who had reported experiencing sexual harassment, physical violence, robberies and threatening situations at work. Some of the interviewees had even received death and rape threats from customers.
 Meeri and most of the other young people interviewed by Yle for this article appear anonymously because they are concerned that speaking publicly about their experiences could affect their future job prospects. The young people interviewed for the story have all resigned from their previous positions at some point in the last three years.
 Alarm only usable "in case of robbery"
 Former employees of the R-kioski outlets told Yle that there was an alarm button in stores, but they had been instructed by supervisors to only press it in "robbery situations".
 In response to this revelation, the chain's Occupational Safety and Health Manager  Erkki Lax  said that employees should be instructed to call for help at all times when there is an emergency situation.
 "R-kioski employees are never completely alone, as the chain’s service centre is accessible to staff by phone or through an internal communication channel whenever kiosks are open," Lax said.
 However, a woman in her twenties who worked for R-kioski in Helsinki this year told Yle that she is amused by the chain's response.
 "If you call the service centre, you have to wait from between half a minute to a couple of minutes for a response. There is really no point in calling [the centre] if someone in the store is stealing or making threats," she said.
 According to Lax, the service centre's response time is less than 30 seconds.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Many workers at R-kioski outlets said they were often left on their own during shifts. Janne Lindroos / Yle
 A former employee of the nationwide juice and smoothie chain Jungle Juice Bar told Yle that some of the chain's outlets do not have an alarm or panic button that could alert a guard or the authorities to an unfolding emergency.
 In addition, she said that employees have been instructed to only contact security services in the event of a life-threatening situation.
 "Can a young person really assess for himself or herself whether something is a life-threatening situation? I have received death threats and I have been physically grabbed," the former employee of the juice bar recalled.
 She added that it is difficult to contact security because employees are not allowed to bring their own phones to workstations, in accordance with the chain's instructions. The only option therefore, she pointed out, would be to call for security on the office's landline phone.
 However, this can often only further escalate the situation, she said.
 The workload and burden on young employees has been a hot topic of discussion on the anonymous chat service Jodel, which is popular with young people. Fast food chain Hesburger’s  "intolerable" demands on its young employees  emerged on the same social media channel at the end of August, eventually becoming national news.
 Earlier this week, Hesburger management said it had already taken action to address the issues raised and that the company plans to listen to its employees and improve their working conditions in the future.
 Drunken, late-night customers
 A woman in her twenties who worked at the fast food submarine sandwiches chain Subway in 2019 also reported to Yle that there was no panic button in the outlet she worked in.
 This especially became an issue when she had to work weekend night shifts on her own or with just one other female colleague, she said, in particular as many drunken customers came into the restaurant after bars had closed.
 Staff repeatedly told management that they did not feel safe working alone at night, she recalled.
 One Subway franchisee informed Yle that he told his employees the restaurant should not be kept open on Friday nights if there were only two employees on duty.
 "A meeting was held where I said that I would either close the outlet or someone could do it alone if they wished to do so," he said.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Before the Covid pandemic, many Subway outlets were open late on weekend nights and often only one member of staff was on duty. Janne Lindroos / Yle
 Erik Yomans , 25, worked in a Hesburger outlet in the city of Turku for five years. He said that the restaurant he worked in did have an alarm button that could be pressed in an emergency situation.
 However, he added that not all new employees knew about the existence of the button because the understaffed restaurant did not have time to fully train employees or familiarise them with all aspects of the job.
 Yomans, who also worked as a shift manager with the fast food burger chain, said he is willing to speak publicly about his experiences working in the services sector under his own name because he has waited a long time for these issues to be discussed publicly.
 Chains cannot respond to queries about security issues
 Yle asked Kesko, S-Group, R-kioski, Scandic, Neste and St1 for a response to their former employees' reports of working alone at night and the related issues of occupational health and safety.
 None of the chains could provide exact figures on how many young people worked alone during the evening or at night.
 In their replies, R-kioski, ST1 and Kesko emphasised that individual franchise-holders and retailers are independently responsible for the operation of their business premises and are thus also responsible for the security of the outlets.
 In addition, the chains said that they could not make public statements about security issues, as this is sensitive information.
 According to the chains that responded to Yle, the safety of employees is improved by adequate orientation into the working environment, safety training and the availability of security staff.
 Threats of murder, rape
 According to the results of the PAM union's survey, more than half of service sector workers have experienced being threatened with violence at work.
 The survey also found that an even higher percentage of people have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, and this was especially high among younger employees. More than 70 percent of those under the age of 25 surveyed by PAM reported having experienced sexual harassment at work.
 "I have been threatened with being killed, beaten and raped while at work," said the former Jungle Juice Bar employee mentioned earlier in this article.
 Threatening situations and harassment, she said, were commonplace at work, and she added that she has repeatedly expressed her fears and concerns to the chain's district manager.
 "It is not a matter of the company's management not knowing, they are just not that interested," she said.
 Elli Holappa , CEO of Jungle Juice Bar, said that the chain decided to close one outlet in Helsinki in 2019 due to feedback received from employees about the working conditions. The employees had reported feeling insecure, especially when working shifts alone.
 The former Jungle Juice Bar employee interviewed by Yle said that almost all of her colleagues were females under the age of 25 years old. She began working for the chain at the age of 19, and the average age of a Jungle Juice Bar service employee is between the ages of 18 and 20.
 Supervisors rarely intervene
 Another interviewee, a woman in her twenties who worked at an ABC service station in the Uusimaa region, told Yle that the outlet's " vakkareista " (roughly translated as "regulars", men who spent a lot of time at the station) would often engage in sexual harassment of the female staff.
 It was quite normal practice for the middle-aged men to choose their "own favourite" from among the female employees, she recalled, who they would then "besiege" with requests and comments throughout the shift.
 "One always paid with coins because he wanted to touch hands when he got the change back. Another told me he would be waiting for me at the front door when I left work to go home. It became a really disgusting and scary feeling," she said.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Many ABC service stations also contain fast food restaurants, cafes and shops. Yle/Stefan Härus
 The young female employees formed a protective "gang", which they would use to warn each other about the behaviours of certain customers, the former employee said.
 She added that supervisors rarely intervened when the customers harassed staff, except occasionally reminding the customer not to be rude.
 "Failed as an employer"
 Mikko Koskinen , head of the S-Group's Risk Management Unit, admitted to Yle that ABC — which belongs to the S Group — has failed as an employer in the situation described by the interviewee.
 He added that similar situations could be avoided if the supervisor and other employees encouraged young workers to report negative work-related issues.
 Tarja Kuittinen , vice president of Restel service stations, said that the threats of violence and the dangers employees face are increased when workers are alone. Kuittinen commented on the experiences described by Meeri, a former employee of a Shell service station.
 "When colleagues do not have access to help when needed, it is understandable that the employee may feel insecure. In addition, even taking a break and going to the toilet [when the only person on duty] is challenging," Kuittinen said, adding that her chain's service stations work with a security company to provide protection to employees as required.
 According to  Sampsa Puttonen , a senior researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, employers should provide employees with clear instructions on how to deal with threatening or emergency situations. He added that while experienced workers may know how to handle certain situations, younger employees have not yet built up the confidence to do so in the same ways.
 Taking the first steps into working life is not only about being able to perform work-related tasks, Puttonen said, but is also about knowing how to act in emergency situations.
 "Young people should not be left alone with such things," he concluded.
 *Meeri's name was changed to protect the interviewee's real identity.

Young employees of fast food chains, service stations face threats of murder, violence, rape


Summary: Car manufacturers attempt to go green while holidaymakers jet off abroad in pre-pandemic numbers.

Friday's  Helsingin Sanomat reports  on the change coming to the automotive industry as the European Union looks to outlaw new petrol and diesel cars.
 One winner in this is Valmet Automotive, HS writes, which operates a factory in Uusikaupunki building cars on a contract basis for other manufacturers.
 "We have been told between the lines by companies that the pace of change is now accelerating furiously. They are bringing forward the strategy for electrification much more than was thought even a year ago," head of Valmet Automotive's battery business  Jyrki Nurmi  told the paper.
 On Tuesday the company announced its Uusikaupunki base would expand to include a facility for producing high voltage batteries for electric vehicles.
 The move comes after Valmet reached an agreement with Dutch startup Lightyear this summer, HS writes.
 The contract between the two companies will see Valmet Automotive build around 1,000 examples of Lightyear's luxury, solar-powered electric car, the Lightyear One.
 The battery-electric car won't be for everyone. Each vehicle will set customers back around €150,000, HS says.
 Decriminalisation of cannabis 'not enough'
 The Green Party's new deputy chair  Atte Harjanne  has  told Joensuu-based Karjalainen  that he would be in favour of decriminalising all drugs, following a knife-edge vote by his party backing the legalisation of cannabis in Finland.
 Harjanne told the paper's parent agency Uutissuomalainen that he believes a large number of Finland's MPs are in favour of drug decriminalisation, but are afraid to back it publicly.
 "It now seems that MPs are more cautious and conservative on this issue than the Finnish people," Harjanne said, referring to a July poll by Helsingin Sanomat in which 42 percent of respondents said they would decriminalise cannabis use.
 According to newspaper Karjalainen, Harjanne believes that decriminalising all drugs would be in line with health guidance from the World Health Organisation and Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
 In the case of cannabis, Finland's most-used illicit substance, the Helsinki MP believes just decriminalising the drug would not go far enough.
 "I have changed my mind. I used to think that decriminalisation would be enough, but I don't think it is," he said.
 Holidays selling out
 Summer may be over but Finland's appetite for travel continues to grow, according to a report in  online business publication Taloussanomat .
 The paper spoke to experts from some of Finland's largest tour operators and found that more people are planning to travel abroad as the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic ease.
 "In the last few weeks, demand has increased to the level of 2019. Little by little, things are starting to look like they did before the pandemic," Finnair and Aurinkomatkat spokesperson  Mari Kanerva  told Taloussanomat.
 Figures from Statistics Finland show the impact Covid-19 had on international travel. In 2019, the country's residents made 8.1 million leisure trips abroad. That number fell to just over two million last year, Taloussanomat writes.
 Laura Aaltonen , communications manager for package tour company TUI told the paper demand for the months ahead was strong.
 "For some periods, such as the autumn and Christmas holidays, trips are already pretty much sold out," she said.
 Of course, the pandemic's influence hasn't waned completely. Taloussanomat reminds readers that popular destinations like Spain and Greece currently require travellers from Finland to show proof of Covid vaccinations or recovery from the virus, as well as providing contact tracing information before entering the country.

Friday's papers: Finland's electric cars, legalising cannabis, travel makes a comeback


Summary: THL is likely to issue the new recommendation on Friday, according to a Ministry of Social Affairs and Health official.

People with severely weakened immune systems across Finland will be offered a third Covid-19 vaccine starting immediately.
 The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is expected to issue the new recommendation on Friday, according to comments from Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM) doctor  Taneli Puumalainen  first reported by  Helsingin Sanomat .
 THL estimates that there are roughly 50,000 immunocompromised people in Finland who would receive the third dose of the vaccine. They include cancer patients and people who have received organ transplants.
 "The ministry has stated that this can be done within the framework of the government decree," Puumalainen told HS.
 Last week THL proposed offering third doses to immunocompromised people.
 "In this group, a third dose would raise antibody levels and offer protection to the same level or at least close to the same levels as now present in healthy people," THL specialist  Mia Kontio  said during Thursday morning's weekly coronavirus briefing.
 In August Puumalainen said that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health was in no rush to administer third doses of the jabs to the general population as the vaccines appeared to retain their effectiveness.
 "There are no signs now that the efficacy would have dwindled. If monitoring indicates that booster doses are necessary, then that's how we'll proceed," Puumalainen said.
 Expiring vaccines
 Earlier on Friday, Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) said it was starting to offer third doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as it races to use the jabs before they go out of date.
 In a statement, HUS said it would immediately begin offering the third dose of vaccine to fully-vaccinated individuals at high risk from complications of infection as well as healthcare staff who care for Covid patients.
 HUS and the Uusimaa regional coronavirus coordination group, including municipalities covered by the healthcare district, came to the joint decision on Thursday, the statement read.
 HUS Pharmacy currently has 15,000 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine in stock with an expiry date of 22 September.
 Permission granted
 "Starting the third round of vaccination before regulations enter into force is unusual, but we considered the ageing of the vaccines to be sufficient justification for this decision," said  Jari Petäjä , chairman of the Uuisimaa regional coordination group.
 According to Petäjä, HUS has already received verbal permission to start offering the third doses from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
 The hospital district said it had worked to use the expiring vaccines as first and second doses, and had offered them to municipalities, private healthcare providers and the military. However, some 15,000 still remained in stock.
 HUS said it was hoping for an "early decision" on an official third jab programme so that vaccinations could continue after the expiring bath of Moderna was used up.
 The healthcare district said that the availability of vaccines in Uusimaa was "excellent", adding that the decision to begin offering third doses had no impact on the availability of first or second doses for the region's residents.

Third Covid-19 vaccines for immune suppressed people to start immediately


Summary: "It is important to remember that boys also need support," THL development manager Jenne Helenius said.

Loneliness and anxiety have particularly increased among girls, according to a new student well-being survey from the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
 Most of the children and young people who took part in the institute's regularly-conducted Student Health and Wellbeing Survey said they were happy with their lives, but satisfaction levels this year had fallen from levels measured the last time the survey was published in the autumn of 2019 — not long before the arrival of Covid-era restrictions.
 Kids were more likely than in previous years to say they felt lonely, anxious and suffered from school exhaustion.
 This year's study found that about a quarter of girls felt lonely 'quite often' or 'all the time' as the Covid crisis continued and stints of remote learning increased their isolation.
 Girls were also more likely to have experienced feelings of anxiety, with 30 percent saying their anxiety levels were 'moderate' or 'severe.' During the years of 2013-2019, between 13-20 percent of girls reported feelings of anxiety.
 About 10 percent of the young male respondents in this year's survey said they experienced loneliness during the period, and about eight percent said they had experienced anxiety.
 1.5 years is 'a long time' for kids
 THL development manager  Jenni Helenius  said one factor behind the deteriorating results was the Covid crisis. Aims to prevent the spread of the disease prompted months of distance learning and the suspension of hobbies and social activities.
 "A year-and-a-half is a long time in a young person's life. For example, the eighth and ninth grade respondents' first high school experience has been during this period of exceptional circumstances," she explained.
 Meanwhile, the epidemic has also affected the education and hobbies of boys in similar ways, Helenius explained.
 "The difference between girls and boys may be partly explained by how the survey's questions were answered. Maybe girls reveal more [about their feelings] or are better able to recognise signs of anxiety. It is important to remember that boys also need support," she said.
 Helenius said the well-being survey's findings were in line with what experts and decision-makers have feared — that coronavirus-related exceptional circumstances have hit young people particularly hard.
 "If you consider the youngest respondents, in fourth and fifth grade, one-third said they were concerned about a loved one getting Covid," she explained.
 Sexual harassment climbs
 The THL study has shown a steady increase in the sexual harassment of girls over the past several years.
 Two years ago, less than 20 percent of young female respondents reported being the target of sexual harassment. In this year's survey, nearly half of the girls said the same.
 According to the responses, such harassment has taken place via the phone, the internet and, to some extent, in public places.
 The rise in sexual harassment claims two years ago was attributed to awareness prompted by the #metoo social media campaign.
 The survey, which queried more than 260,000 children and young people, regularly measures kids' well-being, participation in activities, leisure time, functional ability, lifestyle habits, education, use of school-based health resources and their nurturing environments.
 THL has carried out the survey since 1996. The survey included children in the fourth and fifth grades of primary school, young people in the eighth and ninth grades, and first- and second-year students in high school and vocational schools.

School health survey: Pandemic hit girls particularly hard


Summary: Astronomer Jaakko Visuri began investigating the noise after it echoed across the capital last weekend.

A loud boom heard across large parts of Helsinki last weekend may have been the work of a homemade rocket, according to an expert who believes he discovered the launch location.
 Jaakko Visuri  from the Ursa astronomical society's fireball working group told Yle News he used seismic measurement data from the Institute of Seismology to pinpoint the location of the explosion that echoed across the capital at 11:45pm last Saturday.
 "The preliminary model predicted the area to be somewhere between the northern Pasila railway yard and Metsälä," Visuri said.
 When Visuri went to pinpoint the launch site on Thursday, it turned out to be just 40 metres away from where his model had predicted.
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 "There was practically only one good place for launching a rocket without entering the railway yard. The place was on solid rock and there were plenty of used matches and some other dirt.
 "Since there were no other good places for launching, I concluded that it had to be the launch site," he said.
 On Thursday there was still burned material and soot visible at the spot, Swedish-language newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet reported on Friday.
 Intense speculation
 The boom prompted discussion on social media, with people in the neighbourhoods of Oulunkylä, Kumpula, Käpylä, Arabia, Kulosaari, Metsälä, Meilahti and Kulosaari claiming to have heard the noise, which was described as a "hollow explosive sound" or "large gunshot".
 The loud boom led to intense speculation over the source of the noise, with theories that it came from a meteorite, an earthquake, or even a sonic boom from a fighter jet.
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 The military said none of its aircraft could have caused the loud boom.  Jani Saikko / Yle
 But the sound was not related to Defence Forces operations, military communications chief  Max Arhippainen  told the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper on Monday.
 Visuri told Yle News that in his estimation the rocket had exploded at a height of roughly 300 metres, although that figure remained uncertain.
 "My opinion is that this kind of uncontrolled rocket experiment is always risky. Is it just luck that the rocket actually flew upwards and not bent down towards buildings and people?" he said.
 No further investigation
 According to Visuri, the airspace in the north of Helsinki where the explosion occurred is mainly used by helicopters from air ambulance service FinnHEMS and the Finnish Border Guard coming in to land at Helsinki Airport.
 "From an aviation safety perspective, we are following the investigation. But our pilots have not noticed anything," FinnHEMS safety manager  Tuomas Suominen  said in a statement to Hufvudstadsbladet.
 Police in Helsinki told the paper that the incident was not being investigated further.
 Visuri told Yle News it was unlikely that any of the rocket would be recovered, as any remaining pieces will have fallen over a wide area. He added that while the person who launched the rocket had not been found, in future they might not be able to get away with it.
 "We have now proved that this kind of experimental activity can be traced in a short period of time. If this self-scientist continues his or her rocket experiments, he or she will be identified sooner or later," he warned.

Helsinki loud boom mystery solved as man finds rocket launch site


Summary: The singer-songwriter drew Finland's biggest ever crowds the last time he performed in Helsinki in 2019

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran will return to Finland in August next year, after his previous performances in Helsinki broke attendance records.
 Sheeran is the first international performer to have a show scheduled at the newly-renovated Helsinki Olympic Stadium.
 The show, due to take place on Saturday 20 August 2022, is part of a European tour and is likely to feature material from Sheeran's upcoming  Equals  album which is released next month.
 Story continues below.
 Over 100,000 people attended Sheeran's last performances in Finland. Poliisi
 Sheeran's last visit to Finland in July 2019 saw the British guitarist draw a crowd of 108,000 people over two nights to Malmi Airport in Helsinki.
 At one point, Sheeran delighted fans by walking onstage wearing a Finland team football shirt. He also described how he had spent his birthday in Finland the previous year going to the sauna and then rolling in the snow.
 Helsinki Police thanked concert goers attending the sold-out events for two largely peaceful evenings - although  two drone operators were handed fines  for violating a ban on overflying the site.

Ed Sheeran to return to Helsinki after record-breaking 2019 shows


Summary: Prime Minister Sanna Marin talked about how much she liked her new Finnish backpack in an Instagram Stories video.

Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) posted a video on her personal Instagram account praising her new black backpack while tagging the bag's manufacturer Pihka Collection.
 The video raised questions in some circles about the appropriateness of a high-ranking public official's apparent promotion of a company or product.
 "The first meetings of the day have already been held here at (the PM's official residence) Kesäranta and now we're headed towards the Government Palace. I have a nice, new backpack from the Finnish [firm] Pihka Collection which I am using for the first time," Marin said in  the social media video , which also tagged the company's Instagram account.
 Pihka Collection employs a handful of people and operates in Tampere and Helsinki. About 481,000 Instagram users follow Marin's account, which often shows photos of her carrying out official duties but also features the PM in less formal settings.
 Sofia Salmi , Pihka Collection's owner and CEO, said Marin's post was a pleasant surprise.
 "It feels really great. I was quite taken aback when I saw the post. She did shop here but we could not have expected that," Salmi said.
 Yle asked Marin's special adviser  Pirita Ruokonen  about the video. She answered by email.
 Sanna Marin promoted the Pihka Collection backpack on Instagram. Was it a paid collaboration with the company, or does Marin do this sort of collaboration with other firms?
 "The Prime Minister does not participate in paid collaborations with Pihka Collection or any other companies," Ruokonen said.
 Does the Prime Minister receive Pihka Collection products for free?
 "The Prime Minister has not received the product in question free of charge, but paid for it out of her own pocket," the special adviser said.
 Who manages the Prime Minister's Instagram account, Marin herself or someone else?
 "Both Marin herself and I manage the Instagram account," Ruokonen answered.
 What did the Prime Minister want to achieve by promoting a Finnish bag?
 "The Prime Minister thinks that Finnish companies and products deserve a thank you," the adviser wrote.
 Do you see any problem with the Prime Minister using her visibility to promote a particular company?
 "It is good to support Finnish work and know-how. Many members of parliament as well as ministers prefer to wear Finnish designed and produced products. The Prime Minister also prefers Finnish designed and produced products and wants to support Finnish companies and entities so that they can receive international attention. It is good for Finland for Finnish companies to do well and succeed," Ruokonen said.
 The Prime Minister's Instagram account has recently shown more of Marin's free time activities as a [regular] person. Why?
 "The majority of the posts on the Prime Minister's Instagram account are about her role as Prime Minister. Since it is a question of her personal account, she also has the possibility to post content about her daily life and free time activities. Politicians are people, too," Ruokonen said in the email.

PM Marin's Instagram story prompts product placement fuss


Summary: Media companies will be able to get income data for people if they ask specifically using their names.

Finland's tax administration has told STT that some 1,000 people have asked for their income information to be removed from datasets given to media companies on 'tax data day', when Finnish media is filled with news of who earned what during the preceding year.
 Just over 900 people have had their requests approved. Last year some 4,400 people removed their tax data from the publicly-available lists, but a court ruling is expected to drastically reduce that number in 2021.
 Tax data in Finland is public, meaning that anyone can ask for anyone else's income information.
 The Tax Administration had  removed  some people's data in 2019 after a new law allowed them to request their information be kept secret.
 Media outlets  challenged  that move in the courts, and won.
 Read more:  Court orders high-earners' tax data made public again
 People can still request that their information is not included in datasets of the highest earners sent to media outlets, but those outlets can then request the income data of specific named people — and those requests can't be turned down.
 The names of those who make such requests are also public information, according to the appeals' court ruling, leaving the usefulness of such requests open to question.
 "It is the customers' own decision, whether they want to make use of this possibility," said  Hanna Liiti  of the Tax Administration.

Some 1,000 ask for tax data removal


Summary: Finnish occupational pensions are managed by insurance companies.

Finland's pension system works well, but it is not yet funded on a sustainable basis. That's the conclusion of a new report on pensions in Finland by Danish professor  Torben M. Andersen , which was ordered by the Finnish Centre for Pensions.
 The report says that the system effectively prevents poverty in old age at the moment, and gives a moderate income to pensioners.
 Low birth rates are one issue as Finland tries to ensure there are enough workers to fund pension payments, according to the report.
 There may be funding issues in thirty years' time which would force steep increases in contributions or reductions in pension payments, the report says.
 There could be other problems with the pension system if employment, earnings or the global economy do not develop as expected.
 "If there are difficulties with those, thirty years is not enough — we'll be in difficulties sooner," said  Mikko Kautto , Managing Director of the Centre for Pensions.
 Current rules not enough
 Kautto said that the main takeaway from the report is that current rules will not be sufficient to deal with the challenges presented by lower birth rates, or a new shock to the economy.
 The report says that Finland has, however, adjusted its system comparatively well to account for rising life expectancy.
 Adjusted retirement ages do not quite compensate for the increased outgoings due to people living longer. The report suggests Finland can either wait until funding problems hit and then consider solutions, or agree measures to take now, in case things get worse.
 "In my opinion Andersen clearly says it's better to agree rules, because it removes uncertainty and there is understanding of what awaits different generations, and inter-generational differences can be recognised in advance," Kautto says.
 Delaying solutions would hurt younger people more, as they will eventually have to shell out more of their pay packets.
 If adjustment begins immediately, more of the burden is shared between older generations who might already be collecting their pensions before contributions increase.
 "Delaying the measures is not neutral in terms of distributing the proceeds, and that's why we should discuss funding challenges even though they are not an acute problem," Andersen states in the report.
 In Finland the average wage-earner gets a gross monthly salary of 3,600 euros, according to Andersen. Pension contributions run at 24.4 percent of that, with employers paying the lion's share.
 If there is a delay in raising contributions, in 60 years' time 30 percent of wages would go to pension contributions. If funding issues are tackled in advance, a rise to 26.4 percent would be sufficient to cover outgoings until 2085, according to Andersen.

Report: Current contributions not enough to cover future pensions


Summary: Finland says it's prepared to vaccinate everyone 12 and older against coronavirus a third time.

Finland has made procurement contracts to purchase a third round of Covid shots for everyone 12 and older, according to Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services  Krista Kiuru  (SDP).
 Speaking to Yle's Ykkösaamu show on Saturday, Kiuru said Finland has agreed to purchase third vaccine doses should experts recommend an additional round of jabs.
 "Vaccines have to be procured ahead of time," Kiuru said, though emphasising that a third round hinged on expert recommendations put forward by the National Advisory Committee on Vaccines (KRAR).
 The minister said a decision regarding third vaccine doses would possibly be made during the autumn. "The procurement deals will guarantee that we have the doses if we need them," she explained.
 Elderly people who received the second jab three weeks after the first shot are likely to need a third dose, as studies now indicate that a six-week interval offers greater protection against the virus.
 On Friday Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) said it was  starting to offer third doses  of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as it races to use the jabs before they go out of date. HUS said it would immediately begin offering the third dose to fully-vaccinated individuals at high risk from complications of infection as well as healthcare staff who care for Covid patients in the region.
 Finland first
 The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly called for wealthy countries to pause Covid booster shots until poorer nations have been able to administer at least one dose.
 While Kiuru agreed that the global vaccination cover was still low, she said, "Finland's position can't be that we put the interests of other countries' citizens ahead of our own."
 She noted that Finland has offered its store of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to WHO's Covax vaccine initiative. Kiuru, however, said that Finland needed to hold on to its supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines which were being used to inoculate the country.
 "We need these vaccines for our own citizens. My job is to take care of the Finnish people, so there is no way I could propose that we would skip vaccine top-ups if our scientists say we need them."
 Epidemic of the unvaccinated
 Kiuru also noted that vaccination rates in Finland had slowed, making it less likely that the country would reach its goal of having  80 percent of the 12-and-over population fully dosed by mid-October —a threshold that would allow for the lifiting of coronavirus restrictions.
 News emerged this week that there were an estimated  780,000 people over the age 12 in Finland yet to receive even one dose  of a Covid vaccine, a situation which health authority THL has warned could escalate into an epidemic of the unvaccinated.
 While authorities have yet to outline how to deal with unvaccinated people when restrictions are eventually lifted, Kiuru said all of Finland can't be "held hostage" by a handful of municipalities with low vaccination rates.

Health Minister: "We can't put other countries' citizens ahead of Finns"


Summary: Genome sequencing of positive coronavirus samples in Finland has detected the Mu variant.

Last month the World Health Organization (WHO) designated Mu a "variant of interest." Now the strain has been detected in some 40 countries, including Finland.
 The WHO homed in on Mu after reports that it has a " constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape " that need to be studied further.
 A Finnish virologist, however, said Mu most likely does not pose additional threats compared to other variants.
 "All variants that can evade protection conferred by previous infection or vaccine-provided immunity are potentially worrying, or ones that we have to monitor—and that's the case with Mu as well," said Turku University virology professor  Ilkka Julkunen .
 The variant was first identified in Colombia earlier this year. A few Mu cases have been detected in Finland since the summer.
 Julkunen noted that studies have indicated that two doses of a vaccine provide enough protection to prevent serious cases of Covid.
 "More than 90 percent of fully vaccinated people don't develop serious infections, so in this sense vaccines provide ample protection against variants. It's very likely that this Mu variant is the same, so it doesn't suggest any substantial additional risk or worry compared to other mutations," he explained, adding that it was still too early to know how extensively this particular strain would spread.
 The Delta variant of Covid-19, initially reported in India, remains the dominant mutation in Finland at the moment. It has been identified in 95 percent of the samples sent for sequencing during the past two months.
 Finland currently performs genome sequencing on some 10-15 percent of positive samples.

Finland sees first cases of Covid variant Mu