Finland may start lifting COVID-19 curbs next week
April 21, 2021, 8:36 am

Finland may start lifting COVID-19 curbs next week

A health worker wearing a protective suit takes a swab sample from a patient at a drive-in COVID-19 testing site of the Helsinki University Hospital. (Reuters)

Finland could start lifting coronavirus curbs on businesses and youth activities from next week but borders will stay closed to tourists for at least the coming months, ministers said on Wednesday after agreeing an “exit plan”.

A decision to lift the state of emergency, which allows the government to shut businesses and restrict movement, could be made next week “if the situation continues improving,” Prime Minister Sanna Marin told a press conference.

But with the pandemic still worsening in many European countries, she warned that “the same can happen in Finland if we don’t stay on the ball.”

Infection rates in the Nordic country have fallen sharply over the last month, with only 83 new cases per 100,000 people in the past two weeks, giving Finland one of Europe’s lowest incidences of the virus, according to WHO figures.

On Wednesday, the prime minister’s office published a road map to reopening the country between now and August, agreed after negotiations between the five-party coalition and consultations with the public.

Restrictions on youth sports and hobbies will gradually be lifted from April, while libraries and museums, currently closed in the worst-hit areas, will re-open in May.

The current 10-person limit on gatherings will be lifted for outdoor events in July, and in August at the earliest for indoor meetings.

But the ban on all but the most essential international arrivals -- a border policy previously described by Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo as the EU’s toughest -- will only be partially lifted in the months to come.

Finland will only be reopened to tourism when the international situation improves, Ohisalo said on Wednesday, exhorting Finns to spend their summer holidays inside the country.

Nonetheless, Finland expects to implement its so-called digital vaccination passport scheme “a lot earlier” than the EU’s target of late June, Marin said.

source: AFP

Image source: Reuters

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”