Measure would allow bars, restaurants and nightlife venues to be closed for several weeks.
The Government of Finland is studying declaring a state of emergency for the third time during the coronavirus pandemic given the serious advance of the omicron variant, which is causing record numbers of infections in recent days, according to local media.
The ministerial group that coordinates the management of the pandemic, made up of 12 of the 19 executive ministers, plans to meet at the end of this week to decide whether to apply the state of exception, a measure that must be endorsed by the country’s president and the Eduskunta (Parliament).
This exceptional measure would allow bars, restaurants and nightlife venues to be closed for several weeks, as requested by those responsible for the National Institute of Health and Welfare (THL), to try to stop the spread of the virus.
The health authorities consider that the current restrictions on the hotel industry, which force the premises to close at 6:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. GMT), are not enough to reverse the contagion curve.
Finland counted 14,277 new infections in the last 24 hours, the highest daily figure since the start of the pandemic, of which almost half were registered in the Helsinki metropolitan region.
The incidence reached 1,770 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last two weeks, which represents an increase of 76% compared to the figures of fifteen days ago.
The Finnish government, made up of five center-left parties, has shown a growing division when it comes to making decisions about the management of the pandemic, although to date it has been able to close deals after meetings sometimes marathon.
The most recent of them took place last Friday, when the Executive debated for more than eight hours whether students should return to class after the Christmas break or study at a distance, until finally he opted for the first option. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
