Summary: This week APN asks what the Omicron variant means for Christmas and we hear why an Elon Musk tweet made the Finnish news.

This week Yle News' All Points North podcast assesses the potential impact of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Finland. Health authorities have confirmed cases are already spreading in the capital region as well as in other parts of the country.
 Tuomas Aivelo , a pathology researcher at the University of Helsinki, told APN that Omicron is on course to be Finland's main variant by Christmas.
 "We know that the Omicron wave is coming and it is coming quite quickly," Aivelo said. "It is coming on top of the Delta wave so it means that case numbers will start going up."
 Article continues after the audio.
 APN also heard how the worsening coronavirus situation is leading many people in Finland to reconsider, adjust or cancel their Christmas plans.
 "That's something everyone needs to decide on their own: How big of a risk gathering during Christmas is," Aivelo said.
 Musk 'mentions' Finland
 The news that Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP)  missed Covid exposure messages  while out socialising in a Helsinki nightclub made international news headlines, culminating in tech billionaire  Elon Musk   tweeting  a Marin-themed meme to his 66 million Twitter followers.
 What followed was a phenomenon known as  Suomi Mainittu  ('Finland mentioned') where Finland's domestic media outlets and social media users shared the news that Musk had 'mentioned' Finland.
 Author  Joel Willans  of the Very Finnish Problems social media channel told APN that the  Suomi Mainittu  phenomenon is a prime example of the sardonic Finnish sense of humour.
 "I suspect it's the case with every small country, to an extent, but what I like about the Finnish version is that it's sort of self-deprecating humour. It's like 'look at us we're in the media'," Willans said.
 Still time to donate
 At the beginning of December, APN reported that the charity organisation Joulupuu (or 'Christmas Tree') was aiming to deliver 100,000 gifts to children from vulnerable families this Christmas.
 Despite the increased need for help this festive season, the group reported that donations are down on previous years, a decline noted by other charity organisations.
 But there is still time to make a difference. Gifts can be dropped off at the Forum shopping centre in downtown Helsinki on the zero floor level, next to Gigantti, until Sunday 19 December.
 More information on other parts of the country, and donating online, can be found from the organisation's  website .
 Join the conversation!
 This week's show was presented by  Ronan Browne  and  Zena Iovino , produced by  Mark B. Odom  and the audio engineer was  Laura Koso .
 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: Covid Christmas II and the 'Finland Mentioned' phenomenon


Summary: Police suspect three young people aged 15 to 16 of attempted manslaughter.

Three Imatra teenagers are being investigated by police in relation to a violent attack that took place on Monday night in central Imatra, eastern Finland. All three are suspected of attempted manslaughter.
 The teenagers were reportedly vandalising the windows of a building when the victim, a local bus driver intervened. The victim was then attacked by two of the suspects, suffering kicks and stabs, while a third teen mostly filmed the altercation.
 Police are in possession of the video and have interviewed all three suspects.
 Chief Inspector  Matti Raivikko , who isheading the investigation, described the violence as brutal.
 "The victim was lying on the ground and was beaten and kicked all over his body. Several of the blows hit his head. One of the suspects held a knife with which he attacked the victim several times," the inspector said in a statement.
 The victim is now in stable condition and has been interviewed by police.

Police: Imatra bus driver brutally attacked by teenagers


Summary: Police suspect a man grew and sold cannabis on a professional basis for years, earning some 300,000 euros.

Western Uusimaa police said on Thursday that they are investigating a case in which an Espoo man allegedly grew cannabis crops worth up to 300,000 euros on a detached house property. According to police, the man's cannabis plants produced 35-70 kilograms of marijuana.
 Police suspect that the man, born in 1985, financed his lifestyle with proceeds from drug sales. He is believed to have been engaged in professional cannabis cultivation between 2015 and 2020.
 The man admitted to most of the suspected crimes during the pre-trial investigation.
 Police confiscated much of the proceeds of crime and property bought with it. Besides cash, this included a car, a boat and consumer electronics.
 The man died during the pre-trial investigation, so his alleged crimes will not be tried in court.
 However, police suspect that several others contributed to and/or benefited from the criminal activity. Among other possible charges, they are suspected of being complicit in or advancing aggravated drug offenses.
 In a statement on Thursday, police pointed out that involvement in a crime, for example allowing parts of one's own home to be used for cannabis cultivation, can lead to serious criminal charges. The proceeds of crime may also be forfeited to the state.
 The trial will begin in the late spring or early summer of 2022 at Western Uusimaa District Court in Espoo, just west of Helsinki.

Espoo man admits to professional marijuana operation, but dies before charges are filed


Summary: Health experts in Finland worry vaccinated individuals carrying the virus will infect unvaccinated people.

Markku Tervahauta , Director General of the Finnish institute for health and welfare (THL), said residents in Finland may soon face restrictions to curb the virus that cannot be circumvented with a Covid pass.
 Speaking to Yle talk show  Ykkösaamu  on Saturday, Tervahauta said it may be time to retire the pass in its current form in the face of the  Omicron variant . The passport enables people to gain entry to various events. Obtaining one requires vaccination against Covid-19, a certificate of a recent negative test result, or a certificate of recovery from Covid-19.
 Health experts in Finland now worry that people unvaccinated against Covid will contract the infection from vaccinated individuals carrying the virus.
 The THL has yet to offer the government a recommendation on when Finland could pull its  Covid "emergency brake,"  which would effectively reintroduce various epidemic-related restrictions.
 "We have to follow the new infections day by day as well as hospital capacity," he told Yle, saying more stringent measures would be necessary if regions were not on top of restrictions to curb the spread of infections.
 Speaking to Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday, Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) said she wanted to see local and regional efforts to mitigate the virus ahead of any overreaching measures.
 On Friday the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS)  raised its emergency preparedness  to the highest level owing to the deteriorating Covid situation.
 Earlier this week the government said occupational healthcare could be brought in to speed up Covid vaccinations. While Tervahauta said he agreed with this idea, he said it was important that municipalities continue to offer vaccination priority to older people and risk groups.

THL: Covid pass rethink necessary


Summary: The vaccinations are focused in areas where Covid is most prevalent in humans.

The first minks in Finland have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The Furcovac vaccine, developed by the Finnish Fur Breeders’ Association (FIFUR) and the University of Helsinki, received a conditional license from the Finnish Food Safety Authority on Monday.
 The development of the vaccine has been a major effort for the association, says  Jussi Peura , research director at FIFUR.
 "Considering the starting point was a new disease for which a vaccine did not exist, and the disease is transmissible from animal to human, the development of the vaccine was quite the endeavor. It was one of our highest priorities, this past year," said Peura.
 The first phase involves vaccinating just under 50,000 minks. The farms where the minks will be vaccinated are in the municipalities where the most cases of Covid have been recorded in humans.
 The first vaccinations were given in farmland areas in Northern Ostrobothnia, including Kalajoki. Administering the vaccine does not require additional training for the fur farmers.
 "Farmers have the tools to administer vaccines and the technique is exactly the same as for other vaccinations given to farm animals," said Peura.
 The goal is to be able to vaccinate all farmed minks after New Year’s. Each animal will receive two doses. There are approximately 200,000 minks in Finland that are to be vaccinated.
 The first conditional authorization of the vaccine was granted in September 2021, but the authorization was limited to a small batch. The vaccine was tested at a fur farm in Central Ostrobothnia and at the University of Helsinki's safety laboratory. According to the test results, the animals’'vaccine response was good.
 No coronavirus has been found in Finnish mink farms. In Denmark and the Netherlands, millions of animals have had to be terminated to prevent the spread of the disease to humans.
 "We may have had a bit of luck, in the sense that in the early stages of the pandemic our Covid situation was not very bad. Thanks to this, we were able to learn a lot from what happened in the Netherlands and Denmark. We followed their progress very closely and based on that we have taken our own preventative measures," said Peura.

Finland to vaccinate 50k minks against coronavirus


Summary: Papers ask questions about mental health and Covid on Friday morning.

What is causing so many young people in Finland to feel unwell? That's the question daily Helsingin-Sanomat (HS) asks on its front page on Friday.
 As many as one in four young people in Finland suffers from a mental health disorder, according to the latest data from the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
 Figures show that symptoms of depression and anxiety have increased particularly among secondary school students in recent years. While a significant factor, the pandemic alone does not explain the scale of the problem, HS writes.
 Psychiatry professor at the University of Tampere,  Riittakerttu Kaltiala  tells HS that one key factor is increased estrangement between children and parents and other trusted adults.
 Social media is also to blame. Online platforms are placing increasing pressure on young people's body image and identity formation, not to mention the hate speech and bullying that takes place on their screens.
 "One hand there is the illusion that you could be anything. But on the flip side is the idea that you yourself, are nobody," Kaltiala says.
 The increase in mental health problems is one of the issues that candidates running for the January regional elections will have to find a solution to. In the future, regional authorities (except for Helsinki) will be in charge of social and healthcare services.
 EU-Russia tensions growing
 EU leaders have warned Russia of serious consequences if the country takes military action against Ukraine, Tampere daily  Aamulehti  reports. Following summit discussions, leaders of the bloc concluded that the consequences could include coordinated action by member states.
 On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russia of unprecedented sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine.
 Finnish Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) stressed that a diplomatic solution to the situation ought to be sought first, according to the paper.
 "Sanctions were also discussed, although not at a detailed or concrete level at this meeting, but we clearly showed that we are ready to act if action needs to be taken," Marin said following the summit in Brussels, which concluded on Friday.
 Third dose inconsistency complaints
 Helsinkians may have to wait weeks before being allocated an appointment for a booster jab while residents at a neighboring city, like Espoo, are able to get jabbed at pop-up vaccination stations the next day, Helsinki resident  Pasi Nieminen  tells  Ilta-Sanomat  (IS).
 "How can your place of residence be such a determining factor, considering that this is about a transmissible disease that is a danger to the general public? The principle of equality is not being respected at all here," Nieminen wonders..
 The City of Helsinki's medical director,  Timo Lukkarinen , tells the evening tabloid that there is no reason to worry about unequal treatment between Helsinki and Espoo residents.
 "Of course, if you happen to call at the right time, when the system has just registered cancellations or additional resources have been allocated for vaccinations and new times have been added, you can get vaccinated on the same day. The situation is however almost the same in Helsinki and Espoo," Lukkarinen says.
 According to Lukkarinen, all members belonging to risk groups should receive their third doses by early January with appointments for those under 60 to open in the coming days.
 Second Covid Christmas
 With Omicron cases on the rise and only a week to go until Christmas Eve, Swedish-speaking daily  Hufvudstadsbladet  (HBL) went out to town to ask what people in Helsinki think about the Covid pandemic situation and how it might affect this year's holiday celebrations.
 Victoria Schauman  and  Christoffer Linder  told the paper they are not overly worried about the situation and intend to take a home test prior to visiting their families.
 "It feels like a new variant is coming all the time, now Omicron is the latest one. One just gets used to it," Schauman says.
 Meanwhile, Linder admits suffering from coronavirus news fatigue.
 "I'm not worried. I'm just tired of this shit," he told HBL.
 For more on Covid's possible impact on Christmas,  listen  to this week's All Points North podcast.
 You can listen to the full podcast using the embedded player here, via  Yle Areena ,  Spotify ,  Apple Podcasts  or on your usual podcast player using the RSS feed.

Friday's papers: Teen mental health, Russia tensions, booster appointment complaints and pre-Christmas pandemic fatigue


Summary: HUS' diagnostics director, Lasse Lehtonen, said the decisive factor will be how well people's vaccinations protect against serious forms of Omicron-caused cases of Covid.

Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiiri (HUS)

The Omicron coronavirus variant is spreading quickly in the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS), according to the district's diagnostics director,  Lasse Lehtonen .
 He said that the variant — which is thought to be up to three times more contagious than the previous variant, Delta — was spreading so fast that those infected will very likely do so with the vaccination coverage they currently have.
 Lehtonen told Yle TV1's breakfast show on Friday that he thought Omicron would be the dominant variant causing Covid in the area. Not long after that, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported that he said its proportion had exceeded 50 percent in the Helsinki region, making Omicron the dominant variant.
 Lehtonen said that people at higher risk from coronavirus infections would be well advised to avoid close contact with people outside of their household to avoid the virus.
 Omicron was first observed in Finland about three weeks ago and seems to be spreading quickly. Lehtonen tweeted on Sunday that Omicron was behind around seven percent of new Covid cases in the area, while just a week before that the proportion was 0.6 percent.
 Lehtonen told Yle that hospitals will face difficult times with increasing patient numbers in the near future.
 "Unfortunately, it seems Christmas time will be difficult. There are more infections that there have ever been in Finland, and that will inevitably be reflected in the need for hospital care," he said.
 Story continues after photo
 HUS' diagnostics director, Lasse Lehtonen. Antti Haanpää / Yle
 Lehtonen added that the decisive factor in the situation will be how well people's vaccinations protect themselves against serious forms of Omicron-caused cases of Covid.
 While he thinks that ICU capacity is sufficient, an increase in people needing intensive care will mean reducing resources for other ailments and situations. Additionally, already-strained health care staff members will need to be shifted to ICU wards.
 Brought home from school
 Lehtonen said new cases were spreading from schools to homes, as coronavirus infections are circulating among children and young people.
 At a Covid briefing on Thursday by the social affairs and health ministry and the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), experts suggested that shifting students to distance learning situations would be an option to curb the spread of Omicron.
 Lehtonen echoed similar sentiments, saying that reducing contact between children and youths would be necessary to combat the variant's spread, suggesting that schools could shut down early for the Christmas.
 Most schools in the area will shut down on Thursday 23 December and are scheduled to resume after 6 January.
 The Strategy Director of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health,  Pasi Pohjola , told Yle on Thursday evening that decisions about whether to engage the so-called Covid "emergency brake" — as well as the amount of restrictions that would involve — need to be made soon.
 "In practice, restrictions on the sizes of gatherings will be further tightened, with the possibility of closing premises and the outright banning of gatherings. One quick way to take action would be to prevent the use of Covid passes as a way to circumvent the regional restrictions," Pohjola suggested.
 "Yes, we will have to decide before Christmas which way to go," he said.

Omicron now dominant coronavirus variant in Helsinki region


Summary: As a carbon sink, forests are a crucial tool to fighting climate change.

Forest growth rates in have started to drop, according to a  report  from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).
 The last time anything but an increasing trend was observed in the 100-year history of Luke's forest growth reports was 60 years ago.
 Forest growth is a significant contributor to climate efforts and a decline may considerably hamper efforts to reach EU targets. Finland's goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2035 is dependent on forests' ability to absorb at least one-third — or about 21 million tonnes of carbon dioxide — of Finland's total climate emissions.
 According to the institute's figures, tree growth has decreased by a total of 4.3 million cubic metres year on year. The report's findings were unexpected, according to a leading expert at Luke,  Kari Korhonen.
 "Around 4 million cubic metres is a considerable drop, especially considering the brief time period during which it has taken place," Korhonen told Yle.
 Various factors behind trend
 Researchers say that the reasons behind the shift could be both nature and human activity-related. On one hand, weather variations such as dry summers may significantly impact the growth of pine trees, for instance.
 However, other factors to blame include intensive forestry (reforestation), tree breeding and the drainage of Finnish peat land, which has in turn caused further environmental degradation and greenhouse emissions.
 Reports revealed that over the next 50 years, industrial felling could account for the destruction of almost half of bio-diverse forest areas that have not yet received a protected status.
 Minister of the Environment  Emma Kari  (Greens) said at a press conference on Wednesday that a working group will be set up to protect old and primary forests.
 "Stopping the loss of biodiversity requires precisely the protection of valuable natural forests," Kari said, adding that "open felling is not the only way to (financially) benefit from the forest."
 The minister also hailed the government-proposed METSO program which could encourage landowners to protect forests by offering compensation for conservation efforts.
 "It has been considered a good programme by scientists and conservationists as well as landowners," Kari said during the presser.
 Luke is set to publish more data during the early part of next year, examining whether the recent decline in growth might become a more permanent trend.

Institute: Finland's forest growth declines for first time in 60 years


Summary: VR staff will be intervening in the absence of a face mask.

With daily Covid case figures rising again, due to the Omicron variant, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) brought back a recommendation for people to use face masks in public spaces as well as on public transport.
 The updated guidance came into force on Friday and applies to the entire Finnish population 12 years of age and older.
 The Helsinki's Regional Transport Authority (HSL) officially reissued its mask rule for commuters in the capital region on Tuesday. HSL has alternated between the use of the terms 'recommendation' and 'obligation,' however, the wording is of no essential difference since the authority lacks jurisdiction to pose any sanctions.
 In practice, THL's guidance encourages the use of a mask in situations where it is difficult to avoid close contact, regardless of a person's vaccination status.
 "Winter time increases the risk, and the more infections there are in the population, the greater the risk. The risk of infection is also considerably higher indoors than outdoors," THL Director  Mika Salminen  said in a press release.
 As of Friday morning, some 2,000 new coronavirus infections were reported in Finland.
 Around 21,000 infections have been reported in the past two weeks, an increase of roughly 4,700 compared to the previous two-week period.
 Train passengers required to mask up again
 National train service VR has also brought back a mask requirement for passengers. The requirement applies to all long-distance and commuter trains, as well as Allegro carriages.
 The rule was added added to travel conditions listed on train tickets.
 VR said it hoped that the move will increase the use of masks on trains. Recently, the amount of passengers who chose to wear a mask has varied greatly from region to region, according to the government-owned company.
 "With the busy Christmas season still lying ahead, we wanted to introduce the requirement in order to increase travel safety," VR's Director of Passenger Traffic,  Topi Simola , said in a statement.
 Following the move, train staff are to intervene when passengers are seen without a mask. VR staff have been wearing masks on all trains since autumn 2020.
 "However, health reasons can present obstacles to mask use [...] we do not require proof of health barriers and it is enough that staff are informed," VR's press statement reads.

Face mask recommendation reissued in public places, transport, trains


Summary: Fifty tourists have been quarantined in Lapland, which reported its first Omicron case on Thursday.

Municipalities in Lapland are seeking out accommodation for foreign tourists who may end up ordered into quarantine after testing positive for Covid.
 The region is especially crowded this time of the year due to international visitors looking to spend the Christmas season in Finland.
 So far, a total of 50 foreign tourists have been placed in quarantine after contracting the virus.
 "As a general rule, the infected have been accommodated in hotels and boarding houses. All municipalities are now mapping out plans to organise facilities of a different kind,"  Markku Broas , chief infectious diseases physician for the Lapland Hospital District, said.
 According to current guidelines, accommodations for those infected with the virus must meet specific requirements. At a minimum, the room must be suitable for a single person or a family and must have toilet and shower facilities.
 Additionally, the quarantined person or family must be provided meals in such a way that they do not need to leave the room.
 The City of Rovaniemi, home to Finland's Santa Claus Village, currently has 10 tourists in isolation. City officials began looking for suitable quarantine facilities this week.
 "No city would have that kind of empty housing, probably. The room needs to be suitable and should come with sanitary facilities. We have been searching for and visiting these kinds of spaces,"  Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio , Mayor of Rovaniemi, said.
 City officials have said that they do not want to reveal any further details regarding the quarantine facilities to protect the privacy and safety of the individuals in isolation.
 The tourist season in Rovaniemi is currently at its peak, with several establishments close to being fully booked. Authorities have subsequently faced challenges in finding facilities that can meet the specific requirements needed for quarantined tourists.
 "The first directive is for hotels and boarding houses to make arrangements for isolation. If this is not possible, we are prepared to organise the quarantine facilities," Vaunio added.
 The City of Rovaniemi is also attempting to set aside dozens of residences that can be reserved as quarantine facilities from now till January.
 "There will be tens of thousands of tourists in Rovaniemi during that period, so we have to be prepared. No one knows how many people will contract the virus at that point," Vainio said.
 First case of Omicron detected in Lapland
 The Lapland Hospital District reported its first confirmed case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus on Thursday.
 The infection has been traced to an Irish tourist in Rovaniemi, who first tested positive for the virus on Saturday.
 The highly mutated variant appears to be more contagious than previous strains, and has been spreading rapidly across the globe.
 The Lapland Hospital District has recorded 122 coronavirus cases this week—nearly the exact same figure as the same period last year.
 Four Covid-19 patients have been hospitalised in the region so far. According to Broas; however, health authorities are anticipating an increase in the number of patients and have begun preparing for the same.
 In addition to residents, Lapland currently has a considerable number of foreign as well as domestic tourists.
 "All estimates indicate rising infection rates. Close contact between people is high and the prevalence of the Omicron variant makes things worse, of course," Broas stated.

Lapland authorities scramble to find housing for quarantined tourists


The Bank of Finland has adjusted its economic forecast for 2021-2024, saying it expects growth will slow down in the coming years. The central bank said that this year Finland's GDP will be 3.5 percent before dropping to 2.6 next year, and then 1.5 and 1.3 percent in the following two years.
 In September, the central bank projected Finland's GDP to reach 2.8 percent next year.
 While the bank said that the Finnish economy has made a quick recovery from the Covid crisis-caused recession, it noted there are problems.
 "Consumption by households and a surge in investment by businesses will be the key drivers of growth. But the recovery is still uneven. The new virus variant in particular has quickly brought uncertainty to the economic outlook,"  Meri Obstbaum,  the central bank's forecasting chief, said in a statement issued on Friday.
 Inflation has risen sharply, with the rising prices of goods prompted by strong demand, according to the bank, which added that energy prices have also ticked upwards.
 "The high crude oil price has fed through to consumers at the petrol pumps, and the rise in wholesale electricity prices has, to a certain extent, been passed on to consumer prices. Inflation will nevertheless slow during 2022, as energy prices are expected to start falling and supply bottlenecks to ease," Obstbaum said.
 The epidemic has caused the Finnish state to rack up a large amount of debt, with public finances still in deficit at the end of the forecast period in 2024, according to the bank.
 Interest rates
 The central bank also commented on an announcement made on Thursday that the key interest rate will remain unchanged.
 The US Federal Reserve has signalled that a key interest rate hike will arrive by next summer, but the European Central Bank (ECB) has not followed suit.
 Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Britain became the first G7 country to raise interest rates since the Covid crisis began.
 The news outlet noted that the different decisions made by central banks indicated "deep uncertainties" about how the new coronavirus variant Omicron will affect the world's economies.
 The Bank of Finland's Governor,  Olli Rehn , said the situation is completely different in the US and EU.
 "Wage development is many times faster in the US than in the EU," Rehn said, adding that while the ECB has started a gradual normalisation of monetary policy, uncertainty remains high.
 The central bank's outlook was not entirely negative; it did leave room for hope, saying that the economy could perform better than is anticipated.
 The banks said that as the pandemic subsides, households would be able to start spending the savings made during the crisis period on goods and services. It added that eventual corporate investments could also be larger than expected.

Bank of Finland downgrades economic outlook due to Covid


Summary: Hospitals are dealing with an increase in staff absences.

The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) has raised its emergency preparedness to the highest level.
 In a statement on Friday, health officials from HUS revealed that  Markku Mäkijärvi , acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HUS, made the decision to raise the preparedness level in light of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and increasing staff absences due to illness.
 Mäkijärvi cites the growing number of influenza, RSV and Covid-19 cases as the primary cause for increasing employee absences in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
 "For instance, close to a hundred surgical nurses are currently on sick leave. This is about two to three times higher than the normal amount," he stated.
 The surge in coronavirus cases can also be attributed to rising vaccine hesitancy among the unvaccinated population and waning vaccine immunity among those who have already been inoculated against the virus.
 In practice, the highest level of preparedness, or preparedness level 3, means that either the CEO or an official authorised by them manages all operations, which includes all HUS's resources and units.
 "This way we ensure that HUS performs at maximum efficiency in case of emergency situations," Mäkijärvi explained.
 The hospital district had planned its operations for the Christmas season with the Delta variant in mind, and did not expect so many staff absences, according to the statement.
 Highest preparedness level for the second time
 HUS's guidelines define three levels of emergency preparedness. Officials initiated level 2 preparedness on 9 November.
 The hospital district previously raised its preparedness to the maximum level after a surge in Covid-19 cases in Spring 2020.
 "This reflects the situation well. We are taking the future risks very seriously," Mäkijärvi added.

HUS raises preparedness to maximum level after Covid spike


Summary: Forest giant UPM wants flexibility to vary conditions for staff at different sites.

Trade Union Pro has said its members at forest products giant UPM will walk off the job on New Year's Day if the company does not agree to a new collective agreement.
 The strike will last three weeks, as will a threatened strike by the Paper Workers' Union at UPM facilities in Finland.
 The current collective agreement covering Pro workers runs out on 31 December, and union representatives say UPM has declined all invitations to negotiate a new deal.
 UPM wants the flexibility to vary conditions of work for staff doing the same job in different units within the company, but the unions are resisting that change.
 UPM is therefore planning to unilaterally introduce new terms of work from the start of the year, without agreement with the unions.
 Traditionally Finnish labour talks have been sector-wide, with a collective agreement guaranteeing industrial peace between unions and companies.
 This time, employers' organisations have declined to negotiate a sector-wide deal, preferring to negotiate company-by-company.

UPM clerical staff join walkout threat


Summary: From next year, drone pilots will need a special permit to fly aircraft in urban areas.

Finland is set to introduce stringent regulations for drone pilots next year, in line with new EU guidelines.
 New regulations imposed this year require all drone pilots (with the exception of those flying aircraft that do not have a camera and weigh less than 250g) to register with the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom and pass an online theory test.
 From February 2022 onwards, in addition to the online test, pilots of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will have to undergo an assessment conducted in a controlled environment to be able to fly drones in urban areas.
 According to Traficom's estimates, around 5,000 pilots need to obtain the new permit for urban areas, but only about twenty people have passed the assessment so far.
 This can be attributed to the fact that the technical system developed for the assessment came out at the end of November, and Finland currently only has eight approved test sites.
 The new regulations will be applicable throughout the EU, so anyone who acquires the permit in Finland will be able to fly drones in other countries as well.
 The primary aim of the new guidelines is to increase safety in light of the rapid rise in the recreational use of UAVs, particularly in populated areas.
 In the future, a pilot who flies drones close to highly populated urban areas must renew their permit every five years.
 From 2023, drones sold in stores will require a CE marking to ensure that they comply with the EU's new directives and regulations. Any aircraft without the marking will only be permitted in sparsely populated areas.
 The EU also plans to mandate remote identification for drones in the future, which would enable authorities to determine the location of the aircraft and its pilot as well as identify the owner.

Finland tightens rules for drone pilots


Summary: Finland's Covid case counts are rising, with new measures on the way to fight the epidemic.

Finnish ministers are meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Covid situation, with a growing clamour from doctors and public health officials calling for new measures to reduce contacts between people and slow the spread of the Omicron variant.
 Late on Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) said that she expected the talks would still take some time, but added that she thought the updated guidelines would be completed and announced in the evening.
 Marin said that she has not ruled out any options to curb the spread of the virus, adding that the government will extensively discuss regional and national measures, including ones related to the tourism and restaurant sectors.
 The PM said that the government was also discussing the possibility of revoking use of Covid passes.
 Minister of Finance  Annika Saarikko  (Cen) said the government needed to "act now."
 In addition to various coronavirus-related restrictions, Saarikko also emphasised the importance of accelerating the distribution of booster vaccines.
 Regarding possible restrictions, Saarikko said she hopes that the government will take the daily lives of children and young people into consideration as much as possible.
 Story continues after photo
 Finland's Covid pass regime faces a shakeup as infection numbers increase.  Tiina Kokko / Yle
 Yle's sources in the government parties said on Tuesday afternoon that there is agreement within the governing coalition on the need for tighter restrictions on restaurants and on suspending the Covid pass regime on a temporary basis.
 The details of restrictions on bars and restaurants were yet to be finalised, as of Tuesday afternoon.
 The new rules would come into effect after Christmas and remain in force for three weeks, according to Yle's information.
 Covid pass rethink
 Ahead of the meeting  Markku Tervahauta , Director of the National Institute for Health and Welfare THL, confirmed that his agency was recommending the Covid pass exemption for events and restaurants should be suspended.
 The current rules mean that in regions where restrictions are in place, pubs have to close early and events are restricted to smaller crowd numbers — unless they demand a Covid pass from customers.
 Tervahauta said THL has told the government it's time to reconsider that exemption, effectively bringing in much broader restrictions on daily life.
 Covid tests from Schengen travellers?
 Lapland's Chief Physician for Infectious Diseases  Markku Broas , meanwhile, told Yle that he wanted to see border guards demand pre-departure Covid tests from passengers arriving from Schengen-area countries.
 At present Finland is asking for pre-departure tests if a passenger arrives from a non-Schengen country, but not for those travelling from within the EU's common travel area.
 Broas told Yle that between 10 to 15 percent of Lapland's Covid cases were foreign tourists.
 Calls for action
 On Monday a group of specialist physicians  called on  the government to take strong action to reduce caseloads, as Finland had some 63 patients in intensive care.
 Meanwhile Prime Minister Sanna Marin  said  over the weekend that Finland could decide to extend school holidays to try and prevent further spread of the epidemic in educational institutions.
 Updated on 21.12.2021 at 17:18 to add ministers' comments.

Government meets to consider Covid restrictions


Summary: A data leak reveals Facebook is unable to control hate speech in minority languages like Finnish.

A Facebook data leak has revealed that Finnish-language moderation rests with a handful of moderators, eleven people working in Berlin. While the social media giant praises the efficiency of its automated moderation tools, documents obtained by Yle show that these are of little use when it comes to small languages like Finnish.
 The company's ability to detect hate speech is not as good as Facebook has led users to believe. Moderation for languages like Finnish is often half-baked, a fact apparent in thousands of pages of leaked internal Facebook documents obtained by Yle.
 These documents show that Facebook has not developed Finnish-language automated moderation for things like hate speech, violence and nudity.
 Facebook has always wanted to keep the inner workings of its moderation secret. It has, for example, not wanted to say how many workers it has moderating content in different languages. It has also refused to reveal in which languages it employs automatic moderation.
 The company turned down two separate requests from Yle to discuss how it carries out Finnish-language moderation.
 Globally Facebook employs some 15,000 people whose job it is to trawl through published posts. These moderators, who mainly work through subcontractors, scrutinise content in 70 different languages.
 When it comes to Finnish moderators, we now know there's about ten of them working in Berlin.
 Courts weigh in
 Facebook's community standards outline what's acceptable on the platform and what isn't—the latter including violence and hate speech. In theory, this type of content requires moderators to intervene, but in reality that doesn't always happen.
 Cases winding through the Finnish court system are testament to the company's poor moderation of Finnish content. Facebook posts have triggered dozens of verdicts in Finland over the past few years.
 That said, a court ruling doesn't necessarily imply that efforts at moderation have failed. But likewise the decision by a prosecutor not to pursue charges regarding questionable content is not a sign of adequate moderation either.
 The volume of legal cases suggests Facebook features hate speech breaking Finnish law. Cases reaching the courts are becoming increasingly egregious.
 "It's plain to see that there's writing on Facebook inciting violence and ethnic hatred toward minorities and nothing is done about it," said  Aleksi Knuutila , a political culture and communications researcher.
 Finland not a priority
 Documents leaked by Facebook whistleblower  Frances Haugen  suggest that the company's moderation doesn't really work in any language. This is why the company focuses nearly all of its attention on large language groups.
 Facebook creates automated systems for languages producing the most content. The company prioritises moderation in countries with recurring violence. However, a country can also fall off the priority list if Facebook considers it too difficult to develop automated moderation for a particular language.
 Facebook trains algorithms in a few dozen languages. Facebook's AI monitors Covid-related content in 17 different languages, and societal topics in 31.
 Documents obtained by Yle do not indicate that Facebook has developed its own algorithm for Finnish. But its AI does trawl through content published in Finland in other languages.
 Facebook's own research suggests that its societal algorithm recognises around a fifth of of discussions on Finnish Facebook pages. In addition to English, this algorithm is trained to recognise at least Swedish, Russian and Arabic.
 This would entail human moderators poring over the remaining four fifths.
 The amount of hate speech posted on Facebook has skyrocketed during the pandemic. The company went from deleting 9.6 million instances of hate speech per quarter to 22.5 million. The social media giant said adopting automated moderation in Spanish, Arabic and Indonesian contributed to this growth.
 Facebook's leaked internal documents, however, suggest that the company only manages to remove a few percent of the hate speech circulating on its network.
 Yle is a part of a consortium of news organizations that has reviewed the disclosures made to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and provided to the U.S. Congress in redacted form by Frances Haugen’s legal counsel.

Facebook failing at Finnish moderation


THL boss: Covid pass rethink could be necessary


Summary: The capital is seeing an uptick in Christmas visitors.

Helsinki is seeing more tourists than it has for nearly two years, though the number of visitors is still a shadow of pre-pandemic figures.
 Hotels in Helsinki are now at about 50 percent capacity, up from around 13 percent last December.
 In December of 2019, Helsinki hotels recorded 180,000 foreign overnight stays, a number that dropped to 13,500 last year.
 The City of Helsinki's tourism director,  Nina Versterinen , said that before the pandemic, Russian and Chinese visitors made up the majority of winter holidaymakers. December 2019 saw an all-time high of Chinese and Russian visitors—36,000—in the city.
 Today most of the tourists in the capital hail from Germany, with some also arriving from Sweden, the UK, US and Estonia.
 "Eighty percent of hotel stays are by domestic travellers at the moment," Vesterinen said, adding that the tourism sector will continue to mostly serve Finnish travellers next year.
 She noted that several new hotels are under construction in the capital and will add some 3,500 rooms to current availability.
 "In 2024, Helsinki will be able to provide ten million overnight stays if capacity is at 100 percent. This is an indication of how much hope there is," she said.
 Authorities in Lapland are meanwhile  seeking out accommodation for foreign tourists  who may end up ordered into quarantine after testing positive for Covid.
 The region is especially crowded this time of the year due to international visitors looking to spend the Christmas season in Finland.
 So far, a total of 50 foreign tourists have been placed in quarantine after contracting the virus.

Foreign tourists reappear in Helsinki


Summary: How did Santa Claus become a resident of Finland? Why don't Finns sauna after dark on Christmas Eve? We take a deep dive into uniquely Finnish Christmas traditions.

The Christmas season is all about holiday traditions, from decorating the tree to prepping the big meal and waiting for Santa to arrive. But an authentic and uniquely Finnish Christmas also has its own markers and traditions, putting their own unique spin on the holidays.
 "Even if the origins of a tradition can be traced elsewhere, the way we adapt something makes it uniquely ours," says Finnish Literature Society archivist  Juha Nirkko .
 Starting with the man, the myth, the legend.
 From Yulegoat to Joulupukki
 Everyone knows Santa. Most people are aware that the inspiration for Father Christmas is St. Nicolas, a benevolent bishop from what is now Turkey. Many are even familiar with how the red-coated iteration of the kind, portly man who brings children gifts on Christmas can be attributed to American beverage giant Coca Cola.
 Fewer people, however, may be familiar with Santa's Finnish roots. (No, not his secret workshop in Korvatunturi, which we will get to in a minute.)
 The image used by Coca Cola in their first Santa-driven Christmas campaign in 1931 was drawn by  Haddon Sundblom , a second-generation Finn, whose family was from Åland. Between 1931 and 1964, Sundblom created over 40 images of Santa for Coca Cola, and is credited for creating the image we now associate with Santa Claus.
 Finland, like most western countries, has embraced Santa wholeheartedly, but long before the charitable St. Nicholas made his way into Finnish households, he was preceded by  joulupukki , or  nuuttipukki , an evil spirit in the shape of a goat, that demanded gifts and leftover foods on St Knut's Day (January 13) in exchange for crops and fertility. To this day in Southwest Finland, on the day many Nordic countries mark the end of the holiday season, men dressed in fur jackets, birch bark masks and horns go door to door, and if they don’t get what they want, they will scare the children.
 Story continues after photo.
 Kalle Niskala / Yle
 "This tradition, of a man dressed up as something frightening, going from door to door in search of a bribe to make the coming year prosperous, has been part of  kekri , Christmas and St, Knut’s, for a long time," says Nirkko. "In Finland, as the tradition evolved, Santa came dressed in a fur coat and before he handed out a single gift, his intention was to scare kids.”
 So, how did we go from a grumpy trick-or-treating goat to the much kinder Father Christmas living in Korvatunturi? Yle radio host  Markus Rautio  played a part in the  Finnish appropriation of an international icon .
 When Rautio, known to listeners as "Uncle Markus" declared on air in 1927 that Santa's workshop was located in Lapland's Korvatunturi, Finns immediately took to the tale. If you knew anything about topography, it only made sense: There is nothing for reindeer to eat in the North Pole, but in Lapland they roam free. Moving Santa's visiting centre to Rovaniemi, however, was a more financially driven decision—one that annually drives half a million visitors to the Arctic Circle.
 From harvest decorations to tannenbaum
 With its roots in  kekri , the festival that marked the end of the yearly harvest, it is only natural that many of these Finnish holiday traditions have been integrated with modern-day Christmas. Traditional decorations are still often made from straw, like the typically Finnish decoration,  himmeli , a hanging mobile meant to evoke heaven, which is hung above the dinner table over the holidays. Another decoration staple in the Finnish home is a heart-shaped wreath made from straw.
 Story continues after photo.
 Lea Joutsensaari / Yle
 Before the introduction of the Christmas tree, which made its way to Finland in the middle of the 1800s from Germany, through the Baltics, the way families transitioned from daily life to holy days was by covering their floors with straw. The straw served many a purpose: It kept the draft from emerging between the floorboards and allowed for a place where children could play and houseguests could sleep.
 "As people's way of living changed, along with our standards of cleanliness, the straw became more of a fire hazard and a hassle. Over time, it was replaced by the Christmas tree," says Nirkko.
 How the pine tree made its way into Finnish homes and hearts is an interesting anecdote in itself.
 "About a hundred years ago when Finland became independent and established compulsory education, there was an education guide with instructions pertaining to the annual tree celebration. Every school had an identical holiday party, with a Christmas tree, decorations, cards and gifts. Even Santa attended this party, which became the great unifier for how Christmas was meant to be celebrated," Nirkko explains.
 Christmas Christianity
 Throughout December, the predominantly Lutheran—yet mostly secular—Finns discover their spirituality—or at the very least, their sentimentality. Approximately a million people, regardless of religious affiliation, go to church over the holidays, for  joulukirkko  (Christmas service), concerts and to contribute to the sea of candles across cemeteries on Christmas Eve.
 "The lighting of candles on graves became a national tradition after the Second World War," explains Nirkko. "There was a lot of grief in the country at the time, with so many fallen soldiers. That's when visiting their graves became more frequent, and a tradition that has now lasted for decades."
 During the holiday season, churches are often packed for concerts where beloved Christmas hymns and carols are sung by choirs and congregants in equal measure. Some favorite Finnish Christmas carols include the melancholic  Varpunen jouluaamuna  (The sparrow on Christmas morning),  Sylvian Joululaulu  (Sylvia's Christmas Song) written by  Zacharias Topelius ,  Näin sydämeeni joulun teen  (Making Room for Christmas in My Heart) by  Kassu Halonen  and  Vexi Salmi  and  Tulkoon joulu  (May Christmas Arrive) by  Pekka Simojoki .
 "These concerts add to the ambiance of Christmas, even if you're not particularly religious," Nirkko adds.
 The Christmas Feast
 Unlike many other countries where the big feast takes place on Christmas Day (December 25), the most celebratory meals are enjoyed on Christmas Eve in Finland.
 The day starts with rice porridge with a sole almond that is said to bring good luck to its recipient. Until the 1800s, rice was a luxury most people couldn't afford, making the quotidian porridge one made out of oats or barley. Because rice was seen as more opulent than the local grains, rice porridge was only made for special occasions, like Christmas. But the tradition still lives on today, with rice porridge keeping its place at the Christmas breakfast table.
 In a country where fish has historically played a larger role than red meat, the Christmas feast usually starts with marinated herring in various dressings, gravlax (dry-cured salmon) and roe. But where Finland has really put its own spin on Christmas is with its casseroles. The Swede casserole, potato casserole and carrot casserole are all staples of the Finnish Christmas table.
 "The fact that these commonplace casseroles have become part of our celebration, that feels fairly unique to Finland," says Nirkko. "No one even tries to gussy them up, they just sit there, on the table, in all their simplicity."
 Story continues after photo.
 . Timo Nykyri / Yle
 While the vegetables are viewed as modest, the labor involved in making these casseroles takes some real effort.
 "The ingredients are all simple, but the dish itself takes time to prepare, making it food for special occasions," he says. "These days, if someone actually takes the time to make one of these casseroles, people are quite impressed with their dedication."
 The star of the Christmas meal is usually the ham, which according to a  2018 survey by Lidl  is still favored by 82 percent of residents. Although ham had been consumed by the Vikings as part of their Christmas feast, it didn't make its way to Finnish tables until the 1800s.
 "The consumption of pork can be traced back to the rise of living standards in Finland, and the ability for more people to afford ham. Later merchants started advertising ham as something that was an integral part of Christmas, and created a need for it," says Nirkko.
 Christmas Sauna
 Nothing is more Finnish than the sauna and it wouldn't be Christmas without incorporating Finland's favorite pastime. This centuries-old Christmas Eve tradition is meant to signify the break from physical labour and an opportunity for cleansing both physically and spiritually for the holidays.
 Nirkko suspects that the fact that the bathing took place on Christmas Eve also contributes to Finland placing a greater emphasis on Christmas Eve than the days that follow.
 "Labor used to be quite dirty, and once you were clean and the work was done, it felt pretty festive by default," he says.
 Today, saunas heat at the flick of a switch, but in the past preparing the sauna was part of the ritual. First, the sauna was properly scrubbed clean. As families would take turns bathing from Christmas Eve morning and into the afternoon, the wood-fired sauna would often be heated overnight. The sauna was only used during daylight hours, because it was believed that ancestors and elves occupied it in the dark. And the punishment for making noise in the Christmas sauna would be an excess of mosquitos the following summer.
 Although not everyone has access to a wood-fired sauna, these days the tradition of  joulusauna  is often upheld by homeowners' associations who heat up the building's sauna without extra charge on Christmas Eve.
 "Finns love tradition. It brings a certain sense of safety and assurance when things are done a particular way," says Nirkko. "Having traditions also gives people the freedom to deviate from them. This makes it an opportunity to come together and figure out how to make everyone's idea of Christmas work together, making it uniquely your own tradition."

Finnish Christmas traditions explained


Summary: A new survey suggests that the voting rate in next month's healthcare election may struggle to reach 40 percent.

A survey commissioned by local government foundation (KAKS) found that less than 40 percent of eligible voters could cast ballots next month to elect regional assembly members.
 Finland's health and social care providers are to be controlled by new county councils from next year. Voters go to the polls on Sunday, 23 January to elect these new bodies. Foreigners in Finland are able to vote in this election.
 Check out our really simple guide to Finland's 2022 County Council elections here .
 About 41 percent of people said they plan to vote in January's county council elections, according to a poll by KAKS. The organisation said voters' enthusiasm for the upcoming vote had waned since September, when 43 percent said they would turn up at polling stations.
 In comparison, some 60 percent of people said they would vote in local elections staged earlier this year. But after all of the ballots were counted, only 55 percent of those eligible turned up. One study suggested that turnout in the 2021 municipal election was down among voters with  lower incomes and lower education levels  compared to previous elections.
 In light of these numbers, KAKS said voter turnout in the upcoming healthcare election risks dropping below 40 percent.
 Survey results indicate that those who are unemployed, studying or have a lower level of education are more likely to stay home on election day than other groups, like retirees who are typically eager to make their voice heard. However, while two fifths of 18-30 year-olds said they would vote, the same was only true for a quarter of those between the ages of 31 and 40.
 When it comes to party affiliation, only a third of Finns Party supporters said they would vote, whereas more than half of supporters of the Left Alliance and Social Democrats said they would cast ballots.
 The poll, commissioned by the Foundation for Municipal Development (KAKS), was carried out by pollster Kantar TNS, which interviewed more than 1,000 respondents between 26 November and 1 December. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.

Poll: Less than half plan to vote in county elections


Summary: The government is convening on Tuesday to decide if Finland needs tighter curbs to rein in the spread of Omicron.

Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) on Sunday said the government must decide whether to extend the upcoming school Christmas holidays due to the worsening Covid situation.
 The government is set to convene on Tuesday to decide if Finland should pull its so-called Covid  emergency brake , effectively reintroducing various epidemic-related restrictions.
 Speaking to the press on Sunday, Marin said she was not taking any measures to mitigate the virus off the table, but emphasised that any new restrictions would require a better understanding of their broader impacts on society. The premier noted that Finland's public health institute THL has yet to put forward any official recommendation regarding more stringent measures to combat the virus.
 "No clash"
 Reintroducing pandemic restrictions would essentially stop efforts to open up. The premier denied recent speculation of rifts within her cabinet regarding the handling of Covid.
 This past autumn Marin has been seen as wanting to  return to pre-pandemic life . She recently  apologised to the nation for going out clubbing  while exposed to the virus. Fellow SDP minister,  Krista Kiuru , has meanwhile been viewed as  taking a tough line on Covid , recently telling the media it was time to "pull the brake," which would entail the government taking a stronger role in dealing with the pandemic.
 Marin denied any conflict within her cabinet.
 "There's no conflict within the cabinet on this issue. We share the same picture. We all understand the gravity of the situation. The government must weigh how necessary any new measures are and what their implications are on society. There's no easy way out of this," she said.
 THL's Director General,  Markku Tervahauta , on Saturday floated the idea of  temporarily shelving Covid passes.  This would mean restrictions on bars and restaurants would once again affect everyone and could not be circumvented with a Covid pass.
 On the issue of easing hospitals' workloads, Marin said staff could receive special bonuses.
 "I call on all hospital districts to pay bonuses to workers," she told the press.
 The premier also emphasised the importance of speeding up the Covid vaccine roll-out, particularly in regard to third doses.
 "It seems like municipalities have different levels of preparedness when it comes to vaccinations. The central government will pay whatever it costs," she said.

Finland to consider extending schools' Christmas holiday


Summary: Domestic media outlets explore the latest Covid news as Omicron looms over the Christmas holidays.

In the coming weeks, the highly contagious coronavirus variant Omicron will spread in Finland to the point of impacting the functioning of society, reports  Ilta-Sanomat , quoting an interview with virology professor  Olli Vapalahti .
 HUS' diagnostics director,  Lasse Lehtonen ,told the paper that Omicron's high transmission rates are the problem.
 "We have to protect essential workers. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and restrictions should be extended. Efforts should be made to secure electricity supply, logistics as well as the food industry," he said.
 Last week, the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) reported that Omicron had become the  dominant coronavirus variant  in the capital region.
 No bonus programme for nurses
 Meanwhile, the HUS hospital district has reversed plans to pay its nurses bonuses, reports  Helsingin Sanomat .
 Plans were in the works to reward nurses working with Covid patients. But HUS' board now says special bonuses need more scrutiny in terms of workers' equal treatment.
 "All of us nurses feel duped. It feels like we're not valued. Nobody can live on thank you cards and gratitude doesn't pay the bills," one HUS nurse told the paper.
 Many units within HUS are  facing staff shortages  either due to illness or people quitting. At the same time the district is diverting resources from other units to intensive care.
 Finding the money
 Economic Affairs Minister  Mika Lintilä  (Cen) has instructed his ministry to make preparations for a sixth round of Covid rescue funding, reports  Taloussanomat , citing Social Democratic publication Demokraatti.
 "This is something Parliament's Constitutional Law Committee has required. We have to start finding the money for it from somewhere," Lintilä told Demokraatti.
 Lintilä previously said money had run out for any additional state support for businesses hit by the pandemic.
 "The state always has money, but that means it's taken away from something else."

Monday's papers: Omicron's threat, nurse bonuses nixed and more rescue funding


Summary: Five members of the far-right group were arrested by police in early December on suspicion of terrorist offences. One suspect has since been released from pre-trial detention.

A group of young men clad in bomber jackets and combat boots have been a familiar sight around the town of Kankaanpää in southwest Finland for many years. The gang have also been known to openly display racist insignia, such as t-shirts with the text "White Pride".
 Earlier this month, Satakunta District Court  remanded five men , all aged between 23 and 26 years old and believed to be members of the group, on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack.
 A subsequent Yle investigation has revealed an extensive list of crimes committed by members of the group, with interviewees reporting that the gang were known to harass, intimidate and even violently attack people in the town over the course of the past few years.
 A number of these incidents involved victims from minority backgrounds, with Yle's sources revealing that their minority status was the very reason they were attacked by the group.
 Yle has anonymised the names of the interviewees in this article to protect them from any reprisals. Their national and ethnic identities are also being withheld to further protect their safety.
 Four of the group's members remain in pre-trial detention on suspicion of making preparations for a terror attack. A fifth member was  released from police custody  on 10 December, with law enforcement officials saying they saw no probable cause to suspect that he might commit a crime.
 Police said they believe the suspects follow a far-right ideology influenced by accelerationist ideas.
 This means they want to foment chaos in society in order to hasten the collapse of western societies, using extreme violence to pursue their aims. Accelerationist ideas have spread online and been cited by several mass killers in recent years.
 Assault, September 2019
 Two of the five suspects in the terrorism plot were previously convicted of involvement in a violent assault that took place in front of a bar called Majava in Kankaanpää in September 2019.
 On that occasion, the far-right group noticed a person of minority background standing in front of the bar. According to Yle's sources, this person was enjoying a social evening with other students from the nearby Kankaanpää Art School.
 Story continues after the photo.
 The sign for the Majava bar is still visible in the centre of the town, although the bar has now closed. Tuomas Rimpiläinen / Yle
 The neo-Nazi group members told police during the preliminary investigation into the case that the person of minority background verbally abused them. This person, however, told police that they were talking to someone about immigration, when the neo-Nazi group began berating them.
 This soon turned into insults related to their minority background, they added. Thus provoked, this person told police that they struck one of the members of the neo-Nazi group in the face.
 Two members of the group then retaliated, punching the person of minority background once or twice in the face so that they fell backwards into the street and lost consciousness. The duo then continued to kick the victim several times in the head and body while they lay unconscious in the street.
 In court, the person of minority background admitted to throwing the first punch, was convicted of assault and received an income-linked, 50-day fine.
 One of the two members of the neo-Nazi group denied he punched or kicked the victim while the other entered a plea of self-defence. However, the court convicted both of assault and sentenced them to three months in prison. In its ruling, the court said that the violent acts they committed were completely disproportionate to the preceding first punch and could not be seen as self-defence.
 Constant harassment, provocation
 According to the sources interviewed by Yle for this article, many people in Kankaanpää were aware of the members of the group from both their reputation and their appearance. Their behaviour is described by interviewees as well as in the criminals reports as aggressive and provocative.
 Story continues after the photo.
 The scene in Kankaanpää where police believe a stabbing took place. Poliisi
 In another incident, members of the group were suspected of stabbing one person in Kankaanpää on the midsummer weekend of 2020. The victim in this incident is not believed to be from a minority background.
 One witness to the incident told police they saw one of the members of the group carrying a knife, while the prosecutor in the case considered it clear that the victim had been stabbed.
 However, the victim could not or did not want to tell police which member of the neo-Nazi group had stabbed them. Therefore, due to a lack of evidence, the prosecutor did not proceed with the case.
 The five members of the group that were arrested on suspicion of planning the terror attack include two brothers born in 1996 and 1998, and their cousin, who was born in 1996. In addition, there are two other men among the five, both born in 1995.
 There are also several other people on the outskirts of the group, at least one of whom has convictions for violent crimes as well as property-related offences.
 Assault, December 2019
 At the beginning of December 2019, a group of students from Kankaanpää Art School were spending the evening in the Majava bar.
 The group of students included the person of minority background who had been beaten unconscious outside the bar in September 2019, as well as two other people from the same minority background.
 During the evening, a group of young men wearing bomber jackets arrived at the bar. The student group identified at least one of them as having been involved in the September assault.
 According to Yle's sources, the group of men began behaving aggressively towards the students and especially towards the representative of the minority group present.
 The situation had escalated by the time the bar closed and, based on the account of one person belonging to a minority group interviewed by Yle, the neo-Nazi group began to insult the students with words related to their minority background.
 Another witness, not connected to the student group, also confirmed the course of events to Yle.
 One of the students, who was of the same background as the victim of the September assault, told Yle that he wanted to protect this person from any possible attack so began to accompany them home.
 A preliminary investigation into the subsequent events is still ongoing, but Yle understands that a criminal report of three suspected assaults has been filed with police.
 According to Yle's information, four members of the neo-Nazi group began following the two students as they made their way home and caught up with them on Paasikivenkatu, near the town's Linnanpuisto public park.
 According to the criminal reports, the four men violently attacked the two students as well as a third person who arrived at the scene to help them. All of the victims suffered injuries that required hospital treatment.
 At least one of the suspects in this attack is also a suspect in the terrorist case, Yle understands.
 Assault, May Day 2021
 Members of the group are also believed to have been involved in a violent incident that took place in Kankaanpää on May Day 2021.
 At that time, a group of art school students had congregated at a restaurant on the outskirts of the town centre. This group again included the student who had been the victim of the September 2019 assault as well as the December 2019 attack.
 Story continues after the photo.
 The scene of the incident on May Day 2021. Tuomas Rimpiläinen / Yle
 The students filmed a video of the ensuing incident, which Yle has also seen.
 In the video, the neo-Nazi gang can be heard telling the students that they are not welcome in Kankaanpää.
 A criminal report has also been filed in this case, relating to a suspected assault. At least one of the neo-Nazi gang is also suspected of involvement in the two other, previous assaults.
 "Extensive" harassment of art school students
 Detective Inspector  Toni Sjöblom  is leading the investigations into the assaults as well as the probe into the terrorism plot.
 He told Yle that there are reasons to suspect the minority groups were specifically targeted in the incidents, but he was not willing to reveal the suspects in the cases.
 Yle has also interviewed a number of current and former students of the art school, who reported that there has been extensive harassment or intolerance of art school students in Kankaanpää. Students collectively strive to take care of each other, and foreign exchange students in particular, they revealed.
 The art school is part of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK). SAMK's rector  Jari Multisilta  told Yle that the Art School itself has not been threatened in any way and the authorities have not been in contact with the institution either.
 Multisilta added that he held an "information session" with students last week to dispel any rumours of a potential attack on the school.
 First arrest in January 2020
 In addition to the other criminal reports and court cases, one of the members of the neo-Nazi group is suspected of aggravated assault, which according to available information, took place in Kankaanpää on 6 October 2019.
 Yle has not, however, been able to verify the details of the incident.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Police released this image of weapons confiscated from the group. Poliisi
 Interviewees also told Yle that members of the group have been involved in other violent incidents in the town which have not been reported to police.
 The five were arrested for the first time in January 2020 on suspicion of a felony firearms offence and an explosive offence, among other charges. The suspects were released from pre-trial detention during the spring of 2020.
 They remained a familiar, regular sight in the town from the time of their release until the second half of this year, when interviewees told Yle they started to become less and less visible.

Yle investigation: Kankaanpää neo-Nazi gang had history of intimidation, harassment, assaults


Summary: Covid patients now account for one third of everyone in Finnish ICUs.

Finland needs to urgently introduce measures aimed at restricting social contacts and stemming the spread of coronavirus cases, according to a team of specialists on the nation's Intensive Care Coordination Group.
 The specialists include  Matti Reinikainen , a Professor of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Associate Professor  Stepani Bendel  of Kuopio University Hospital and Intensive Care Professor  Ville Pettilä . All three called on the government to introduce "drastic" measures to tackle the spread of Covid cases and the Omicron variant.
 The group said procrastination can cost lives.
 As of Monday afternoon, there are a total of 63 Covid patients being treated in intensive care units around the country. This means that one third of the patients currently receiving ICU care in Finland are being treated for Covid.
 Story continues after graphic
 This figure is expected to climb even higher as the Omicron variant continues to spread.
 Last week, the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) reported that Omicron had become the  dominant coronavirus variant  in the capital region.
 Professor Reinikainen told Yle that from the perspective of ICU capacity, the situation in Finland has never been as worrying throughout the entire pandemic as it is now.
 The latest episode of Yle News' All Points North podcast looked into the potential impact of the Omicron variant.You can listen to the full podcast using the embedded player here, via  Yle Areena ,  Spotify ,  Apple Podcasts  or on your usual podcast player using the RSS feed.
 Story continues after the audio.
 In April 2020, the number of intensive care patients peaked at 83, but at that time severe restrictions were in place and all non-urgent surgeries had been reduced to a minimum, Reinikainen added.
 In South Africa, the Omicron variant has been observed to infect young, socially-active people before spreading to older generations. This in turn leads to an increased demand on ICU facilities.
 Reinikainen added that if the current spike in cases is not curbed, ICU capacity in Finland will come under serious pressure.
 That said, the trio are calling on the government to introduce strict measures aimed at tackling the spread of infections.
 The government is set to meet on Tuesday to decide if Finland should pull its so-called Covid  emergency brake , effectively reintroducing various epidemic-related restrictions.

Specialists call for "drastic" measures as Covid ICU patients reach 2021 high


Summary: Tim Sparv led Finland to a historic first ever tournament finals, the 2020 European Championships, and has spoken out on issues such as equality, racism and migrant labour.

Tim Sparv  announced his retirement from football at a press conference in Helsinki on Monday afternoon.
 The 34-year-old captain of Finland's men's national football team made a total of 84 appearances for the  Huuhkajat , or Eagle Owls, and historically led Finland to its first-ever major finals when the team qualified for the European Championship finals in 2019.
 "My time as a professional footballer has now come to an end. I have asked all that I can from my body and gone as far as possible. Now is the time to start a new chapter in my life," he said.
 Sparv left his hometown club Oravais, located along Finland's western coastline, in 2003 to join the acclaimed junior academy at English Premier League Southampton.
 He made a few first team appearances for the Saints before moving on to Swedish top-flight side Halmstads BK and from there to Groningen in the Netherlands. Sparv also later played in Germany, Denmark and Greece. He ended his club career back in Finland, helping HJK claim their 31st Veikkausliiga title.
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 Sparv signed for HJK Helsinki in July 2021. Tomi Hänninen
 Sparv has also garnered much attention off the field, as he has spoken out on issues such as the  problem of racism  within the game as well as  equal pay  for male and female players.
 In September he  wrote an article  for The Player's Tribune, an online sports magazine which publishes first-person stories from professional athletes, calling for more action in support of migrant workers building stadiums for next year's World Cup finals in Qatar.
 Sparv also  received the 2021 Player Voice  award from FIFPro in recognition of his activism and advocacy for human rights.
 "I hope to be remembered as a loyal, encouraging and selfless player and as a person," Sparv told the Monday afternoon press conference, adding that his plans for the future are still open.
 "At first I'm going to breathe a little and think about what I'd like to do. But I would be surprised if it wasn’t related to coaching in some way. Coaching is interesting. Working with young people is perhaps my new passion," he said.

Finnish football captain Sparv announces retirement


Summary: Finland has started inoculating 5-11 year-olds kids at risk of developing severe Covid complications.

This past weekend, Helsinki and Turku made Covid vaccines available for children aged 5 to 11 in risk groups as classified by the Finnish institute for health and welfare (THL).
 Kids who are  obese or have chronic illnesses  are considered at risk of developing serious complications if they contract coronavirus.
 The rest of the kids in this age group will still have to wait for their jabs.
 THL's chief physician,  Hanna Nohynek , told Yle it's up to the government to rule when vaccinations will expand to include all 5-11 year-olds.
 According to Nohynek, children rarely develop serious complications from Covid. Finland does not outright recommend coronavirus vaccines for kids, except for those who are in risk groups or live with family members deemed to be at risk.
 Children's doses are 10 microgrammes, a third of 30-microgramme adult versions of the vaccine.
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 Pros and cons
 The benefit of vaccinating at-risk kids against developing severe forms of Covid outweighs any potential risks, according to the THL chief physician.
 But when it comes to a healthy child, the balance of pros and cons is not immediately clear, Nokynek added.
 "We want to be absolutely certain that the vaccine doesn't cause more harm than good. The question is whether Covid vaccination is safe enough for children of this age who very rarely develop serious Covid complications," she noted.
 "One issue under consideration has been heart inflammation, which has been seen in some older kids and young adults, particularly in men under 30. We want to be sure to understand the incidence rates for heart issues in 5-11 year-old kids."
 She noted that vaccination data from the US covering seven million administered doses, showed the ratio of heart inflammation cases was one in a million. While this would indicate a miniscule risk, THL for the moment only recommends vaccinating kids in risk groups.
 Clinical studies have shown that the vaccine is 90 percent effective in shielding children from even mild forms of the illness.
 Younger kids' side effects have been the same as those reported among those over 12, such as pain at the injection site, fever and muscle soreness lasting a few days.
 Nohynek said paediatricians in Finland are not uniformly enthusiastic about vaccinating kids who very rarely develop severe forms of Covid.
 THL's modelling meanwhile suggests that young kids do not play as large of a role in starting and maintaining infection chains as teens and young adults.
 But Nohynek notes that countries arrive at their own conclusions when it comes to vaccinating their youngest residents. Denmark is aiming to vaccinate all kids over the age of five by Christmas. Danish officials argue that vaccinating children indirectly protects other age groups.
 However, Sweden and Norway have not shared Denmark's eagerness to vaccinate children. Sweden is not set to begin vaccinating children in risk groups until after the New Year.

Finland begins vaccinating children in risk groups


Summary: HUS bosses had said they would cancel special Covid bonuses, citing equality concerns.

The executive board of the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) announced on Monday that it would go ahead with plans to pay nurses special bonuses.
 The move comes days after Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HUS  Markku Mäkijärvi  announced that the hospital district would hold off on distributing the bonuses.
 Risto Rautava , the chair of HUS's board, confirmed the district's decision to cancel the bonuses in an  interview  with Helsingin Sanomat on Sunday.
 The decision was met with heavy criticism, particularly from nurse and healthcare worker unions.
 On Monday, Rautava told Yle that the board has switched tracks and will pay nurses the bonuses, as previously agreed.
 "HUS's board made an overall assessment. We came to the conclusion that since the heads of certain departments have already promised employees bonuses and some had already been paid, it would not be fair to repeal the decision," he said.
 The nurses in these departments—namely, the head and neck center, heart and lung center and abdominal center—had been promised bonuses as a reward for coping with a heavy work overload due to staff shortages during November–February. The bonuses range from 200 to 300 euros per month per employee.
 The decision to grant bonuses was made by the heads of the departments. Staff had been informed about the extra pay, and some had already received the money.
 Mäkijärvi had said that it was unfair for nurses working in certain departments to receive bonuses while other employees had not been offered the same deal.
 HUS's board also noted on Monday that the hospital district needs to urgently improve its personnel management and administration.
 HUS facing backlash
 The hospital district's decision to cancel the bonuses caused a stir on social media, with unions condemning the move.
 In a tweet on Sunday, the Union of Health and Social Care Services - Tehy stated that it intended to investigate the legality of the decision if HUS went through with cancelling the bonuses.
 The union also sent a letter to HUS's administration calling for the decision to be reversed.
 "We are of the opinion that nurses are already outraged at the threat to forgo extra pay. Confidence in the employer's actions is crumbling," the letter, which was signed by Tehy's director  Else-Mai Kirvesniemi , stated, according to Finnish language newspaper  Demokraatti .
 Silja Paavola , the chair of the Finnish Union of Practical Nurses SuPer, said it would be outrageous as well as dangerous to cancel bonuses that had already been promised.
 "This is not a reason to cancel anything, but rather, a reason to pay people a higher salary to attract more employees to the industry," Paavola stated on Yle's morning show Ylen Aamu on Monday, pointing out how the extra workload in the healthcare sector has already led to several surgeries being cancelled.
 In an  interview  with Yle on Sunday, Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  urged hospital districts to prevent staff shortages by providing adequate compensation and bonuses, especially during the Christmas season.
 She emphasised that the state bears the costs of any measures aimed at tackling the Covid-19 crisis, which would include additional compensation for health workers.

HUS reinstates nurses' Covid bonuses after backlash


Summary: Many of the new spots for students are in sectors facing a staff shortage.

Finland's Minister of Science and Culture Antti Kurvinen (Cen) has said that the Ministry of Education and Culture will introduce an additional 2,300 university study places for next year.
 Finland's universities will be allotted the majority of the new places—just under 1,500—while universities of applied sciences will offer over 800 additional spots for students.
 According to the ministry, the primary aim of increasing the number of seats is to improve general competence and education levels and to boost recruitment in sectors that are facing staff shortages.
 In universities, most of the new capacity will be available in the fields of technology, education, social sciences, data processing and telecommunications, while universities of applied sciences will have more places for those looking to study health and wellbeing and STEM subjects.
 "This will improve competitiveness and regional policy and will also ensure more balanced regional development," Kurvinen stated at a press conference on Monday.
 According to Kurvinen, educational institutions have already added about 10,000 more study places during this government's time in office.
 The STEM and healthcare fields have been allocated the highest number of new spots, with nearly 400 each.
 In an  interview  with Helsingin Sanomat in November, Kurvinen stated that he wanted to shift the focus from a centralised approach to higher education towards one that improves accessibility.
 He reiterated his intentions at Monday's press conference.
 "This change in direction towards more inclusive and regionally-focused higher education will continue next year. Previous fields of education are now being broadened and strengthened. I will make decisions regarding new educational programmes, faculties and responsibilities next year," he said.
 Unions, namely, the Confederation of Finnish Industries and the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff, as well as the boards of several educational institutions in Finland reportedly cite the new policies as cause for concern.
 In a  joint statement , representatives from multiple university boards revealed they believe fragmenting higher education into units would compromise its quality.

Education Ministry to increase number of university places


Summary: It's a big day of pre-Christmas meetings to discuss Covid restrictions.

Finland is in the grip of a steep rise in Covid cases, and with the new Omicron variant apparently more transmissible than previous versions of coronavirus, there is a clamour for greater restrictions on daily life to try and slow the spread.
 Aamulehti has a  good summary  of the timetable. At 12 noon the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health along with the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) will hold a briefing on the Covid situation.
 THL boss  Markku Terhahauta  had on Saturday said it's time to suspend the use of the Covid pass to circumvent restrictions on restaurant and bar opening hours, for example.
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 At 4pm ministers meet to discuss their national policy response. They can tighten restrictions, or stop the Covid pass clause that allows establishments asking for Covid passes to avoid any restrictions at all.
 AL also notes the Pirkanmaa Covid co-ordination group meeting at 3:30pm. They will discuss local restrictions they could bring in for the Tampere region, with the choice apparently being whether to ban large events altogether or to severely restrict the numbers allowed to attend.
 The newly-opened Tampere Arena has seen several huge events in recent weeks, with capacity of 13,000-strong crowds for ice hockey matches and concerts.
 Restrictions are also on the agenda for Helsingin Sanomat, which does not duck the difficult timing of the current upsurge in case counts, just ahead of the festive season.
 The paper has a  big feature  on Finns abroad returning home after more than a year without seeing their families, a reminder that the pandemic is considerably more difficult to weather for those separated from loved ones.
 On the other hand, the paper's  editorial  suggests pubs and churches should be closed, remote working encouraged, and people should spend Christmas at home with their families.
 That's how Finns do Christmas anyway, the paper says, so it should not be too difficult this year.
 Boosters delayed
 Many people are now trying to get a third dose of Covid vaccine, and finding that appointments are thin on the ground. There is a discrepancy between the three largest municipalities in the capital region, with Vantaa way out in front in offering boosters.
 The northernmost Helsinki region's council has been offering booster shots to anyone aged over 18 since 14 December, but Helsinki itself only opened up bookings for those people not at elevated risk from Covid on Monday.
 There were complaints online that these times are mostly in January. But that's better than the situation in Espoo,  reports  Iltalehti, where over-18s not in risk groups can only get their booster appointments from Tuesday.
 Even then, these times are reserved for people aged between 50 and 59. So far just 15.5 percent of over-12s in Finland have received three doses of Covid vaccine.
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 Olkiluoto starts
 In energy news, Tuesday was a landmark day in Finnish history as the third reactor at Olkiluoto nuclear power plant finally started operations.
 The much-delayed reactor was turned on at 3:22am. Local paper Satakunnan Kansa was  on hand  for the momentous event, noting that the west-coast facility is set to produce some 14 percent of Finland's electricity needs.
 The reactor is set to be connected to the Finnish grid in January.

Tuesday's papers: Covid decisions, booster shot delays and Finns abroad return for Christmas


Finland's employment rate trend rose to 72.8 percent during the month of November, according to the latest  Labour Force Survey  from Statistics Finland, while the unemployment rate fell to 6.9 percent.
 There were 62,000 more people in employment in Finland last month compared to November 2020, and 24,000 fewer unemployed people. In total, 2.6 million people were in employment during November 2021, an increase of 2.5 percent, while 164,000 people were unemployed, or a drop of 12.5 percent compared to the same period last year.
 The number-crunching agency's report also revealed that the number of new job vacancies increased by as much as 88 percent in November compared to the same month last year.
 This equated to a total of 93,000 new job vacancies, up from 49,000 one year ago.
 Meanwhile, figures published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment revealed that there were a total of 253,000 unemployed jobseekers registered at employment and economic development (TE) offices and around the country during November.
 This represented a decline of 62,000 compared to November last year, the ministry added.
 The discrepancy between the figures supplied by Statistics Finland and those of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy's figures is explained by the fact that Statistics Finland's definition of an unemployed person is stricter than that of the ministry.
 The figures provided by Statistics Finland are internationally comparable and thus they are the official Finnish unemployment statistics.
 Ministry forecasts growth
 On Monday the Finance Ministry forecasted economic growth of three percent for Finland in 2022, down from 3.4 percent in 2021.
 The ministry said that it expected fiscal stimulus to continue, and a stabilised economic outlook thanks to the easing of the coronavirus pandemic.
 Despite that, the ministry expects economic growth to slow in future because of long-term structural issues with the economy.
 "The epidemic will ease with time, but demographic issues and economic change will continue long into the future," said the ministry's senior civil servant  Mikko Spolander .
 "Change in the economy requires creativity, knowhow, new technology and sizeable private investment as well as careful use of public funds."
 The Bank of Finland forecast last week that economic growth would hit 2.6 percent.

Finland's employment rate climbs to 73 percent


Summary: The estimate is a conservative one, according to the mathematician behind it.

Finland's mortality rate from coronavirus infections could have been more than five times higher than it was between September and November. That's according to an Yle analysis of mortality rates for vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
 A total of 360 people died during the autumn in Finland within one month of being diagnosed with a coronavirus infection.
 According to data compiled by Svenska Yle on vaccinated and unvaccinated mortality rates, Covid vaccines prevented this figure from being more than five times higher, or an additional 1,489 deaths.
 For example, the figures revealed that although there were 13 Covid-related deaths in Finland among people aged between 30 and 49 during the months of September, October and November, Covid vaccines probably saved the lives of some 51 other people.
 Among 50 to 69 year olds, there were 50 Covid-related deaths registered during the autumn months, but vaccines helped to prevent the deaths of a further 300 people.
 The study also found that almost all of the 63 people who died between these two age categories, from ages 30 to 69, were unvaccinated.
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 A rapid increase in the infection rate over recent weeks has highlighted the importance of vaccines, as mortality rates among unvaccinated people have risen sharply, especially in the over-70 age group.
 According to the data gathered by Svenska Yle, some 296 people aged over 70 years died in Finland from Covid in the three months from September to November. However, based on projected mortality rates, vaccines saved the lives of more than 1,100 others.
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 Even more deaths were likely prevented
 Even the estimate of 1,500 deaths prevented in Finland during the autumn is "conservative", according to  Tom Britton , a professor of mathematical statistics at Stockholm University.
 Britton told Svenska Yle that the calculations do not, for example, take into account that vaccinated people also protect those who are not vaccinated, as they do not spread the virus to the same extent.
 He added that the number of estimated deaths prevented could be doubled.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Tom Britton, Professor of Mathematical Statistics at the University of Stockholm. Niklas Björling / Stockholms universitet
 "The number of lives saved includes the assumption that the infections would have spread in the same way if no-one had been vaccinated," Britton explained. "The virus would have been much more contagious."
 In the statistics used in the Svenska Yle analysis, a death is linked to a coronavirus infection when it occurs within 30 days of a positive coronavirus test result. This definition is used internationally.
 In practice, it is possible that deaths other than those caused by the coronavirus have occurred. In some cases, there are several causes of death, and coronavirus may have been a decisive factor.
 "No matter how coronavirus deaths are defined, there are problems with it. Even if a person undergoes an autopsy, I don’t think it is possible to know with 100 percent accuracy how the person died," Britton said.

Report: Covid vaccines saved some 1,500 lives in Finland since September


Summary: Finland will test people at the border even from Schengen-area countries.

Ministers emerged from drawn-out negotiations late on Tuesday night to announce a raft of new restrictions aimed at dampening down a surge in Covid cases as the Omicron variant moves in across the country.
 Bars and restaurants will have to close at 10pm from Christmas eve, and those that don't serve food will have to shut at 6pm from 28 December. They will be asked to stop serving alcohol an hour earlier.
 Restaurants focused on food will be allowed to open until 8pm, with reduced capacities.
 These rules apply to areas in the 'community transmission' phase. That is every hospital district in the country except North Savo, North Karelia, Kainuu and East Savo.
 Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) also said that Finland will also start asking passengers from Schengen-area countries, in a stark break with the rules of the European free travel area. The tests will have to be less than 48 hours old.
 Covid passes will remain valid for the time being, but only in 'low-risk' situations.
 Schools, meanwhile, will remain in contact teaching — but ministers urged local authorities to ask pupils and teachers to wear face masks.
 On Tuesday afternoon Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) had said that she expected the talks would still take some time.
 Marin said that she has not ruled out any options to curb the spread of the virus, adding that the government will extensively discuss regional and national measures, including ones related to the tourism and restaurant sectors.
 The PM said that the government was also discussing the possibility of revoking use of Covid passes.
 On arrival at the talks, Minister of Finance  Annika Saarikko  (Cen) said the government needed to "act now."
 In addition to various coronavirus-related restrictions, Saarikko also emphasised the importance of accelerating the distribution of booster vaccines.
 Regarding possible restrictions, Saarikko said she hoped that the government will take the daily lives of children and young people into consideration as much as possible.
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 Finland's Covid pass regime faces a shakeup as infection numbers increase.  Tiina Kokko / Yle
 Yle's sources in the government parties said on Tuesday afternoon that there was agreement within the governing coalition on the need for tighter restrictions on restaurants and on suspending the Covid pass regime on a temporary basis.
 The details of restrictions on bars and restaurants were yet to be finalised, as of Tuesday afternoon.
 The new rules would come into effect after Christmas and remain in force for three weeks, according to Yle's information.
 Covid pass rethink
 Ahead of the meeting  Markku Tervahauta , Director of the National Institute for Health and Welfare THL, confirmed that his agency was recommending the Covid pass exemption for events and restaurants should be suspended.
 The current rules mean that in regions where restrictions are in place, pubs have to close early and events are restricted to smaller crowd numbers — unless they demand a Covid pass from customers.
 Tervahauta said THL has told the government it's time to reconsider that exemption, effectively bringing in much broader restrictions on daily life.
 Covid tests from Schengen travellers?
 Lapland's Chief Physician for Infectious Diseases  Markku Broas , meanwhile, told Yle that he wanted to see border guards demand pre-departure Covid tests from passengers arriving from Schengen-area countries.
 At present Finland is asking for pre-departure tests if a passenger arrives from a non-Schengen country, but not for those travelling from within the EU's common travel area.
 Broas told Yle that between 10 to 15 percent of Lapland's Covid cases were foreign tourists.
 Calls for action
 On Monday a group of specialist physicians  called on  the government to take strong action to reduce caseloads, as Finland had some 63 patients in intensive care.
 Meanwhile Prime Minister Sanna Marin  said  over the weekend that Finland could decide to extend school holidays to try and prevent further spread of the epidemic in educational institutions.
 Updated on 21.12.2021 at 17:18 to add ministers' comments.

Ministers agree new restrictions