Border check imposed for 10 countries

The government on Wednesday announced to reinstate borders checks for travellers from six Schengen countries and stepped-up checks for travellers from four countries outside the Schengen area.

Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo announced the government decision taken at a meeting on Tuesday, following recent spreading of coronavirus in these countries. The decision will come into effect from 24 August.

Finland considers those countries are in high-risk group where more than eight confirmed coronavirus cases are recorded per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks.

Based on the latest policy, Finland will reintroduce border control for travellers from Iceland, Greece, Malta, Germany, Norway, and Denmark, although they are in the Schengen area.

Four countries outside the Schengen area, namely Cyprus, Ireland, San Marino, and Japan, will now face stepped-up border checking and travellers from these countries will need to go for two-week quarantine.

The 14-day incidence rate in Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia and Estonia exceeds the limit value of eight but is currently (as of 15 August below 10. Internal border control will therefore not be reinstated for traffic between Finland and these countries.

The government also asked the Finnish people to avoid travelling to these countries.

The people living in the Norwegian and Swedish bordering areas with Finland, however, may escape the check and quarantine, considering their necessity to cross the borders to run their regular activities.

Ohisalo said the government may also consider suspension of flights from Skopje to Turku, if the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) recommends it, as several coronavirus-infected patients arrived from Skopje in the recent weeks.