Finland likely to further ease cross-border travel

Finland may decide to further ease cross-border travel within two weeks, Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo said on Friday, reported news agency Xinhua.

The current border restrictions are expected to remain in force until the middle of June.

Following video conferences with the interior ministers of neighboring Nordic countries and certain European Union (EU) member states on Friday, Ohisalo said that for now Finland will not join the so-called "Baltic Bubble," but the government continues to monitor the situation.

The "Baltic Bubble" is a zone created by neighboring Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Friday that allows their citizens to travel freely between the three countries under certain conditions.

Asked about a comparable Nordic solution, Ohisalo said that the eventual reopening of Finland's border with Sweden may not coincide with a similar decision regarding the border with Estonia. She recalled the European Commission's recommendation issued on Wednesday that the EU member states could reopen their borders if the neighbors have similar coronavirus situations.

In Scandinavia, Norway, Denmark and Iceland have reported stable coronavirus situations, while in Sweden the number of cases has been higher. In Finland, the spread of the virus has slowed down significantly, the health authorities said.

Ohisalo stressed that this was not the time to name "winners and losers" and that the nation-specific solutions can only be assessed much later. Ohisalo did not exclude the possibility of establishing "travel corridors" with other EU countries on a bilateral basis.

On Thursday, Finland eased travel restrictions for those who commute for work or family reasons. Ohisalo said that on the first day there were 9,000 border crossings as opposed to a daily average of one thousand previously.

Also on Friday, the Finnish Defense Forces said that preparations are being made for training volunteer reservists to be called up if the COVID-19 crisis worsens.

The aim is to "ensure preparedness" in all circumstances. The defense forces did not specify the number of persons to be called up. The training will last one day per person. To reduce the risk of infection, the reservists will not be in contact with the currently serving conscripts.

As of Friday, Finland had reported 6,228 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 293 deaths.