Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare:
Over 10,500 new COVID-19 cases recorded in Finland last week

More than 10,500 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Finland between 6 and 12 December. The incidence of new infections continued to increase over the last 14-day period, standing at 360 per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of last week. About 145,000 tests are carried out weekly. On 15 December 2021, the total number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in Finland was 34. In addition, preliminary screening tests indicate that cases of the Omicron variant are clearly increasing. The need for hospital and intensive care remains considerably high throughout the country.

The incidence of new COVID-19 cases over the last two-week period (29 November–12 December) was 360 per 100,000 inhabitants in Finland. Between 15 and 28 November, the incidence of new cases was 279 per 100,000 inhabitants. Currently, the estimated effective basic reproduction number is 1.0–1.1, with a 90 per cent probability. The estimate has remained the same for several weeks now. 

At the end of last week (12 December 2021), the total number of patients in specialised healthcare was 171, of whom 119 were in inpatient care and 52 in intensive care. Last week, a total of 137 new COVID-19 inpatients were admitted to specialised healthcare.

A total of 36 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to intensive care last week. Over the past four weeks, the weekly number of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care has varied between 32 and 39.

 On 15 December 2021,  the total number of COVID-19-related deaths reported to the communicable diseases register stood at 1,446. In the past two weeks (1– 15 December), a total of 98 new deaths were reported, and 78 per cent of these (76 deaths) were reported among people over 70 years of age.

By 15 December, 87.4 per cent of people in Finland who are 12 years of age or over had received at least one vaccine dose, 82.9 per cent at least two vaccine doses and 11.5 per cent three vaccine doses.

More than 145,700 COVID-19 tests were taken between 6 and 12 December. Unlike in the previous weeks when the number of tests was increasing, the number has now slightly decreased from the week before. About 153,300 COVID-19 tests were taken between 29 November and 5 December. The proportion of positive cases of all samples taken last week was 7.2 per cent. Between 15 November and 5 December, the figure was 6.2–6.3 per cent.

The following 17 areas meet the epidemiological characteristics for areas in the community transmission phase: The Åland Islands and the Hospital Districts of South Karelia, South Ostrobothnia, South Savo, Helsinki and Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme, Central Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Kymenlaakso, Lapland, Länsi-Pohja, Pirkanmaa, North Ostrobothnia, Päijät-Häme, Satakunta, Vaasa and Southwest Finland.

The epidemiological situation is monitored weekly. The situational picture is updated weekly on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare under ‘Situation update on coronavirus’. An extensive monitoring report is published on the Institute’s webpage ‘Monitoring reports on the hybrid strategy’ every other week on Thursday afternoons. From now on, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare will publish the key monitoring information on the COVID-19 epidemic on a new reporting website. The new website will replace the current coronavirus map.

Inquiries:

Mia Kontio, Chief Specialist, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, [email protected]
Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected]
Taneli Puumalainen, Director General, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected]
Carita Savolainen-Kopra, Chief Specialist, [email protected]
Otto Helve, Chief Physician, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, [email protected]

• Monitoring reports on the hybrid strategy (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare), in Finnish and Swedish 
• Progress with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare), in Finnish and Swedish
• Situation update on coronavirus (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare)
• The COVID-19 epidemic: regional situation, recommendations and restrictions (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare) 
• Coronavirus cases, hospital treatment situation and deaths
• Coronavirus in numbers (Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa) 
• Action plan for implementing the hybrid strategy to control the COVID-19 epidemic 2021–22 (Publications of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2021:30), description sheet in English 
• Effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on wellbeing, services and the economy (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare), in Finnish 
• Situation in intensive care: COVID-19 in intensive care (Kuopio University Hospital), in Finnish