53,600 COVID infections diagnosed in 1 week, 140 deaths in 2 weeks

About 53,600 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Finland between 3 and 9 January, compared to more than 42,100 new cases in the previous week, said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a joint press release on Thursday.

Meanwhile, on 12 January 2022, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths reported to the communicable diseases register was 1,688. In the last 14 days (29 December 2021–12 January 2022), a total of 140 deaths were reported. People over 70 years of age accounted for 78 per cent of the deaths.

Cases are now reported even among people who have been vaccinated. The need for inpatient specialised healthcare has grown considerably while the burden on intensive care remains high but relatively stable.

In the last 14 days (between 27 December 2021 and 9 January 2022), the incidence of new cases was 1,721 per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 629 in the preceding two-week period. This means that the number of new infections has nearly tripled since December. On 12 January 2022, the estimated effective basic reproduction number was 1.05–1.2 with a 90 per cent probability.

On 12 January, there were 311 inpatients in specialised healthcare, while on 5 January the number was 239. It is estimated that 20–25 per cent of all COVID-19 patients in specialised healthcare are receiving hospital care mainly for some other reason.

The total number of patients in intensive care was 59, while in the preceding three-week period the number was between 47 and 58. Between 3 and 9 January, a total of 59 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to intensive care, while in the preceding four weeks, the number varied between 36 and 40.

The total number of cases of the Omicron variant was 523 until Wednesday. There are now many cases being reported even among vaccinated people, but the number of vaccinated people receiving hospital care has not increased as much.

By 12 January 2022, 88.0 per cent of people in Finland who are 12 years of age or over had received at least one vaccine dose, 84.3 per cent at least two vaccine doses and 32.9 per cent three vaccine doses. It is recommended that particularly people aged 60 or over and those belonging to risk groups take a third dose.

Between 3 and 9 January, the number of tests performed was about 190,000, and 30 per cent of all these samples tested positive, compared to 25 per cent in the week before.