Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
Nearly 55,500 new COVID-19 cases in Finland, burden on specialised healthcare still high, number of people vaccinated with third dose increasing

Nearly 55,500 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Finland between 10 and 16 January, compared to more than 57,400 new cases in the previous week. The burden on inpatient specialised healthcare remains high. The burden on inpatient primary healthcare is also increasing rapidly. Vaccines provide good protection against the most serious forms of COVID-19. For this reason, it is particularly important that people aged 60 or over and those belonging to risk groups get a third dose.  

In the last two calendar weeks (between 3 and 16 January 2022), the incidence of new cases was 2,030 per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 1,190 in the preceding two-week period. This means that the number of new infections has nearly doubled since the end of December. On 12 January 2022, the estimated effective basic reproduction number was the same as the week before, i.e. 1.05–1.2, with a 90 per cent probability. 

On 19 January, there were 360 inpatients in specialised healthcare, while on 12 January, the number was 372. On 19 January, the total number of patients in intensive care was 64, compared to 61 in the week before. Between 10 and 16 January, a total of 60 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to intensive care, while in the preceding four weeks, the number varied between 36 and 60 per week. It is estimated that 20 per cent of all COVID-19 inpatients in specialised healthcare were receiving hospital care mainly for some other reason. The percentage for patients in intensive care was 17.

On 19 January 2022, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths reported to the communicable diseases register was 1,762. In the last 14 days (6–19 January 2022), a total of 138 deaths were reported. People over 70 years of age accounted for 87 per cent of the deaths.

On 19 January 2022, the total number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in all hospital district was 784. The cases were identified by sequencing. Omicron is becoming or has become the dominant variant of COVID-19 in most regions. There are still many cases being reported even among vaccinated people, but the number of vaccinated people receiving hospital care has not increased nearly as much. 

By 19 January 2022, 86.5 per cent of people in Finland who are 18 years of age or over had received at least one vaccine dose, 83.6 per cent at least two vaccine doses and 44.7 per cent three vaccine doses. Over the past week (13–19 January), the uptake of the third vaccine dose rose by 9.2 percentage points. It is recommended that particularly people aged 60 or over and those belonging to risk groups take a third dose. 

Between September and December, unvaccinated people with COVID-19 were 14 times more likely to be admitted to specialised healthcare and 27 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care than those who had been vaccinated twice.

The number of COVID-19 tests continues to be high, and positive test results have increased in number. Between 10 and 16 January, the number of tests performed was about 173,000, and 32 per cent of all these samples tested positive, compared to 29 per cent in the week before.

The whole of Finland continues to match the characteristics of a community transmission area.

The epidemiological situation is monitored weekly. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare publishes the key monitoring information on the COVID-19 epidemic on its reporting website. 

Inquiries:

Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected]
Pasi Pohjola, Director of Strategic Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected]
Otto Helve, Chief Physician, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, [email protected]
Mia Kontio, Chief Specialist, 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)