Govt tightens further border control to contain coronavirus
Published : 07 Apr 2020, 13:03
Updated : 07 Apr 2020, 21:01
The government on Tuesday decided to further strengthen control on its internal and external borders including northern land border with Sweden and Norway to slow down the spread of COVID-19.
The decision has been adopted with the view to impose restrictions on border traffic and the quarantine rules until 13 May, said an official press release.
Essential travel to work and other necessary traffic, however, will be allowed.
Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Interior, said at a press conference that all passenger transport on ships in and out of Finland will stop from Friday night until May 13, reported news agency Xinhua.
Finland closed its borders to foreigners in mid-March to curb the spread of COVID-19, but citizens kept returning, and the boat lines also served EU citizens and foreigners returning to their countries via Finland.
Ohisalo stressed that the air transit option continues, particularly noting that Finnair maintains its fights to Tallinn, Estonia.
Finns working in the areas along the borders with Sweden and Norway must stay under quarantine-like conditions when they are in the territory of Finland.
Under this condition, employees may continue to travel to work but they must comply with the quarantine instructions.
Employees coming to Finland from Sweden or Norway must follow the guidance on minimising the risk of infection and must stay in quarantine-like conditions, to the extent possible, both in Finland and during their stay at home.
Employees crossing the border must have a certificate from their employers stating that the work is essential.
As a main rule, all persons arriving in Finland are obliged, regardless of the reason for the border crossing, to follow the instructions of the Finnish health authorities and to remain under quarantine-like conditions for 14 days.
The requirement to remain under quarantine-like conditions for 14 days will not apply to essential border crossings of emergency medical service and rescue services personnel or to freight transport.
Freight transport drivers will be provided with instructions from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on how to reduce the risk of infection and how to stay under quarantine-like conditions.
On April 1, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health issued a decision to hospital districts to instruct staff arriving from abroad to remain under quarantine-like conditions for a period of 14 days.