Govt allocates €8.9m to prevent coronavirus outbreak

The government has decided to allocate a fund of 8.9 million euros as a part of its extensive measures to face the situation following a possible outbreak of coronavirus infection in the country.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin along with three other ministers of the five-party alliance government pointed out the government initiatives to tackle the situation at a press conference on Thursday.

The prime minister said the government will be very transparent and stick to open communication policy to avoid rumours and false information spayed around in this regard.

Social Affairs and Health Minister Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, who also spoke on the occasion, said the country was well-prepared to tackle the situation.

Although cases of infection by coronavirus have been reported, in Finland there is no epidemic situation at the moment, said Pekonen.

She also said that the risk of infection in Finland is very low and the government is focusing on preventing an epidemic and limiting it nationally and globally.

Finance Minister Katri Kulmuni and Family Affairs and Social Services Minister Krista Kiuru were also present at the press conference.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the government received an extensive update from the ministries on the coronavirus situation and the country’s preparedness for its spread in its negotiations.

The government was presented with a comprehensive overview of the coronavirus situation, along with a disease update from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), said a government press release on Thursday.

In addition, the government was given an overview of the preparedness of the responsible ministries (the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance.)

Finland, together with various authorities, is closely monitoring the situation and has access to current information on any changes in the coronavirus situation.

The parliamentary groups concerned were also briefed on the coronavirus situation.

The budget includes provisions of EUR 8.9 million for additional expenditures such as the situation caused by the coronavirus. In addition, the government is prepared to cover any additional costs generated by the coronavirus situation through the supplementary budget procedure, if necessary.

Earlier, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has appointed a coordination group to support preparedness and management in healthcare and social welfare relating to the outbreak of the Hubei coronavirus.