Country´s COVID-19 situation worries PM

Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Friday expressed concern over the worsening coronavirus situation in Finland and said that vaccines are the most important tool to fight against the pandemic.

Pointing out adequate stock of vaccine in the country, the Premier in her new year´s message also assured that Finland must do its part to increase vaccination coverage worldwide.

“The COVID-19 situation in Finland is serious, and the Omicron variant is cause for great concern. The Government’s goal is to increase vaccination coverage and improve vaccine protection among the population. A great deal of work is being done throughout Finland to ensure that third boosters can be administered as soon as possible. Vaccines continue to be our most important tool in the global fight against the pandemic,” said Marin.

She said that over the past year, many people have felt concern and sadness. Many have lost loved ones, worried about the health of their family members or fallen ill themselves. Many have lost their jobs or have been unsure of how they or their loved ones would get by.

The Prime Minister said that so far, Finland has fared better in the pandemic than many of our peers when it comes to the effects of the epidemic on health and the economy.

“By providing timely and adequate support to people and businesses and by introducing recovery measures, we have managed to soften the blows to our economy and boost our ability to recover from them. That said, there are still major risks and uncertainties associated with how the pandemic will evolve. With this in mind, we also need to make sure our economic policies can react as the situation requires, and we must not abandon growth-oriented policies prematurely,” she added.

She said that managing the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to be a balancing act.

“We must be able to protect people’s health and avoid overburdening the healthcare system while also keeping society as open as possible. Decisions and restrictions must be expedient, proportionate and necessary. It is also clear that as the crisis drags on, society’s resilience will be put to the test,” Marin said.

She underscored that the backlogs in care, treatment and learning caused by the pandemic will require particular attention for a long time to come.

“The longer the crisis continues, the more important it is to ensure that the wellbeing backlog caused by COVID-19 does not become insurmountable. We must be able to address problems early on. If we fail to do so, we will pay a high human and economic price for it in the future,” she said.

Terming the trust as the foundation of entire society, she said that trust, and the ability to cooperate and agree on things together, are especially important in difficult times.

“We are a society with many strengths. We are a skilled nation that has overcome many ordeals together. Finnish society is strong. It is particularly strong when we encounter hardships,” she added.

She also spoke about the European Union and security policy.

“Finland’s most important frame of reference is the European Union, which all European countries can seek to join. We have also strengthened our national security through comprehensive security and defence cooperation, which we will continue to intensify. In addition, we retain the option of applying for NATO membership,” said the Prime Minister, adding, “we should uphold this freedom of choice and make sure it remains a reality, as this is part of every country’s right to decide on its own security policies.”

“I wish everyone a safe and happy new year!” she concluded.