Traveling to coronavirus areas increases risk in Finland: THL

The government recommended that people should avoid unnecessary traveling to countries other than countries where restrictions on entry have been waived, said a press release issued by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on Monday.

The recommendation was made sensing increase of traveling and holidays abroad following ease of the borders control.

Persons with symptoms must avoid all unnecessary movement outside their home and get tested. Persons with symptoms should not travel in Finland or abroad.

"Finns or people living in Finland also travel to countries where the epidemic is worse than it is in Finland. Visiting such a country will increase your risk of getting a coronavirus infection compared to being in Finland,” said THL’s Chief Specialist Jari Jalava.

This will then increase the risk of infections in Finland as travellers return.

During border control, persons travelling from these high infection risk countries are given the guidelines drawn up by THL and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on how to reduce the risk of increasing coronavirus infections in Finland.

The guidelines also include the recommendation for a voluntary 14 day quarantine.

"We are aware of infections diagnosed in Finland, which probably originated from the Balkans. For example, Spain is also a popular destination for Finnish tourists. Travel to the region is not recommended due to the increased number of cases there,” Jalava added.

“Holidays include visits to the same destinations and sights with many other people, and people are often in close confines with people from different parts of the world. For this reason, hygiene is exceptionally important,” Jalava said.