294 new coronavirus deaths reported in 2 weeks in Finland

The coronavirus death toll in the country has reached 2,571 till Sunday as a total of 294 new deaths were reported in the last two weeks (21 February to 6 March), said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a joint press release on Thursday.

In the preceding two-week period, the figure was 152.

On 6 March, there were 353 inpatients in specialised healthcare. The number of inpatients has remained high since the turn of 2021–2022.

The total number of patients in intensive care was 39, compared to 41 on 27 February. Between 28 February and 6 March, 41 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to intensive care, while in the previous week the number was 38.

Currently, the estimated effective basic reproduction number is 0.80–0.95, with a 90 per cent probability. The number is lower than last week when it was 0.85–1.05, with a 90 per cent probability, i.e. the same as the week before that.

The number of reported COVID-19 cases over the last two weeks is inaccurate, because there have been technical problems with database connections to the communicable diseases register.

These problems are also reflected in the reported number of COVID-19 patients in specialised healthcare. The problems are being fixed.

The overall level of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in Finland’s wastewater has remained high. Currently, the level of viral genetic material is not decreasing anywhere in Finland. This means that the earlier downward trend has also levelled off in Espoo and Helsinki.

People continue to shed the virus even after their recovery, so it may take time before the slowdown in the epidemic is apparent in wastewater samples.

Vaccinations continue to provide effective protection against the most serious forms of COVID-19. It is particularly important that people aged 60 or over and those belonging to risk groups get a third vaccine dose.

It is now recommended that also 12–17-year-olds who belong to risk groups get a third vaccine dose.

By 9 March 2022, 86.3 per cent of people in Finland who are 18 years of age or over had received at least two vaccine doses and 61.4 per cent three vaccine doses.