First coronavirus death confirmed in Finland

National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on Saturday confirmed the first coronavirus death in the country.

The deceased, an elderly person and a resident of Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district died of Coronavirus on Friday, said the THL in a press release issued on Saturday afternoon.

The authority, however, declined to divulge any more information in this regard considering the confidentiality of the victim.

Terming the incident unfortunate, the THL said that the first coronavirus death in the country did not come as a surprise.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus infection cases raised to 521 in Finland as 71 more cases were diagnosed at different parts of the country on Saturday, said the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

Expert, however, feared that the number of total infected people with coronavirus seemed to be much higher in Finland than the official figure counted by the authority.

All the suspected cases are not being tested anymore, so the real number of infections is feared to be much higher. Only the seriously ill and risk group people such as social and healthcare workers are being tested in Finland now.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Saturday said the government was ready to impose more restriction to contain the spread of coronavirus, reported national broadcaster Yle.

Talking to Yle in its Ykkösaamu ( Morning breakfast) programme, the Prime Minister said that her cabinet was prepared to restrict movement from the Uusimaa region to other parts of country as the infection rate worsen in the capital region.

She, however, said that the restriction is not necessary now but the authority is monitoring the situation and necessary measures will be taken accordingly, said the Yle report.