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10.11.2021 | Sergei Silkin from Helsinki, Marko Oikarainen from Kouvola and Dan Wickholm from Sipoo were today awarded the Father of the Year Prize. The Prize was presented by Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru.

31.12.2024 | Fellow citizens, The last few days of the year have brought our security into focus. We all went off to celebrate Christmas, each in our own way.  But even during the holidays, Finland kept an eye out for trouble.

30.11.2021 | Are you planning to travel abroad? The Foreign Ministry’s Consular Services want to remind travellers of the importance of a passport. This letter gives tips on what to do if you lose your passport during your journey.

23.8.2023 | "The exceptional times we have been living in recent years have emphasised the importance of Nordic cooperation. Finland has also a lot to offer to other Nordic countries, and we should learn from others in many sectors of society. Through Nordic interaction, we will be able to effectively advance various matters," says minister Anna-Maja Henriksson in her speech.

19.5.2022 | COVID-19 also spread widely among the older population in early 2022. This led to a rise in the number of COVID-19-related deaths occurring within 30 days of testing positive. However, this trend took a downward turn in late April–early May. Despite the considerable number of infections, the mortality rate among those who have received at least three vaccine doses has clearly remained at a lower level when compared to the rest of the population.

19.1.2023 | In 2022, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the missions abroad provided consular services to a total of approximately 256,000 customers. The demand for advisory services, in particular, continued to grow. During the year, the ministry’s 24/7 service received more than 8,000 contacts in total.

10.2.2022 | The need for hospital care due to COVID-19 has stayed at a high but stable level for two weeks now. The burden on intensive care has reduced considerably since mid-January. Getting a third vaccine dose is an important way of preventing the more serious forms of the disease and curbing the burden on hospital care.

30.3.2023 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has commissioned two studies to support future decisions and measures to promote international recruitment in the healthcare and social welfare sector. The reports survey the experiences on international recruitment among healthcare and social welfare sector employers and those who have moved to Finland to work or study in the sector. The conclusion is that employees hired from abroad will be needed in great numbers in the next few years.

10.12.2021 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has updated the national strategy for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. The principles for testing are still to detect infections quickly, curb the spread of infections among the population and protect particularly people who are at an increased risk of contracting a severe case of COVID-19.

24.2.2022 | The need for hospital care has remained at a high but stable level. It is recommended that everyone aged 18 years or over take a third vaccine dose. The epidemiological situation is still serious. For that reason, the focus will be on people’s own measures to prevent the spread of infections as the restrictions are eased.

10.3.2022 | The virus that causes COVID-19 continues to circulate through the population. However, vaccines provide effective protection against severe forms of the disease. It is particularly important that people aged 60 or over and those belonging to risk groups get a third vaccine dose. As the restrictions are eased, the focus will be on people’s own measures to prevent the spread of infections.

16.9.2021 | The aim of the family leave reform is to increase the wellbeing of children and families and to strengthen gender equality and non-discrimination in working life and in the daily lives of families. The measures to achieve this aim include more flexible and longer family leaves and equal quotas of daily allowance days for both parents, some of which can be transferred to the other parent. The new family leave model treats all children equally, irrespective of the type of the family.

18.1.2023 | The revised EU Drinking Water Directive has been implemented in Finnish national legislation through statutory amendments that took effect on 12 January 2023. These amendments concern a wide range of laws and regulations. The main goal of the reform is to safeguard the quality of water intended for human consumption and to provide more information on water quality.

22.2.2022 | The responsibility for organising healthcare and social services will be transferred to the wellbeing services counties at the beginning of next year. For this reason, amendments of mainly technical nature are proposed to two acts. The proposals sent out for comments would enable the compensation of integration costs to the wellbeing services counties and would define the responsibility for organising accommodation for unaccompanied children.

14.4.2023 | The Non-Violent Childhoods Action Plan contains 93 different measures to combat violence against children and young people in 2020–2025. The aim is also to help victims of violence. According to a recent mid-term evaluation, the implementation of the Action Plan is progressing well.

3.9.2020 | The HIMSS & Health 2.0 European Health Conference & Exhibition, which is a top digital healthcare event in Europe, will be held entirely online on 7–11 September. Finnish healthcare and social welfare innovations and operators in the sector will be strongly featured at this event. More than 3,000 visitors from around the world are expected to attend the event.

24.1.2022 | The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held on 4–20 February 2022 and the Paralympic Games on 4–13 March 2022 in Beijing, China. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, participation in the Beijing 2022 Games is strictly restricted. The COVID-19 situation means that audience participation in the Beijing 2022 Games is limited to invited guests from continental China. Athletes, official guests and media representati...

3.3.2021 | In its meeting on 3 March, the Government discussed the adoption of certain powers laid down in the Emergency Powers Act. The decrees on the use of these powers are currently under preparation. The Government aims to make decisions on the decrees in its session on Friday 5 March, after which they will be submitted to Parliament.

15.4.2021 | The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Finland has decreased noticeably over the past few weeks. The number started to fall before Easter. The current restrictions and recommendations and the closure of businesses serving food and beverages have clearly been effective and prevented infections. Vaccinations have also reduced infections, particularly among older people. It is imperative that t...

27.10.2022 | COVID-19 cases are spreading widely among the population, but especially vaccinated people have a lower risk of developing the severe form of the disease. The number of people in hospitals with COVID-19 has increased. However, a large number of these patients are treated mainly for some other reason than COVID-19. Multiple COVID-19 variants are circulating in Finland, but their impact on the epidemic is not yet clear. 

6.10.2022 | The Government’s proposal to comprehensively reform the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (hereinafter, the Integration Act) aims to strengthen the inclusion of immigrants in society and to make the promotion of integration more efficient. Another goal is to increase equality and wellbeing and advance good relations between population groups. The reform seeks to facilitate the path of immigra...

31.3.2022 | In future, EU COVID-19 vaccination certificates used for travel purposes will remain valid until further notice for those under the age of 18 who have completed the full primary vaccination series (usually two doses). COVID-19 vaccination certificates for adults expire when 270 days, i.e. about nine months, have passed from the last dose of the primary vaccination series. As of yet, no acceptance period applies to certificates issued following the administration of booster doses.

26.9.2024 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has launched a study on how society could better support children in challenging divorce situations and custody disputes.

25.3.2021 | The Government has submitted a proposal that would place temporary restrictions on freedom of movement and close contacts and introduce a mask mandate in the areas worst affected by COVID-19. The main objective is to reduce the number of encounters and close contacts between people in areas where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly and uncontrollably. The goal is to protect people from the dangerous communicable disease and to safeguard the capacity of the healthcare system.

25.3.2021 | The Government has submitted a proposal that would place temporary restrictions on freedom of movement and close contacts and introduce a mask mandate in the areas worst affected by COVID-19. The main objective is to reduce the number of encounters and close contacts between people in areas where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly and uncontrollably. The goal is to protect people from the dangerous communicable disease and to safeguard the capacity of the healthcare system.

2.5.2022 | The objective of the legislative proposal is also to promote social inclusion, health and wellbeing of immigrants, to increase equality and to strengthen good relations between population groups. According to the proposal to be sent out for comments, services promoting integration would be organised as part of the municipal integration programme and other services. 

23.12.2021 | Christmas always seems to come by stealth in the middle of the busiest time of year. We rush to get our work done, to fix up the home and get it ready for the festivities. But what if we learned some tolerance for unfinished business, and accepted that we've done enough already? When daily life stops for a while and we get to take a break, then the Yuletide season can bring much-needed peace of mind.

12.5.2021 | The decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases that had continued for weeks stalled between 3 and 9 May. Social contacts outside the family circle played a major role as a source of infection. Local COVID-19 clusters have emerged throughout the country as a result of private Labour Day gatherings, for example.  There is a real risk that we will see a resurgence of the epidemic, especially among young adults.

8.7.2021 | A total of 1,282 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Finland between 28 June and 4 July. During the previous week the corresponding figure was around 960. The number of new cases has doubled compared to the preceding two-week period: during the past two weeks, the number of new cases totalled 2,240, while in the preceding two-week period, it was 1,093. The weekly number of COVID-19 cases was at its lowest in week 24 (between 14 and 20 June), totalling around 530.

25.5.2022 | The Government has proposed amendments to three Acts to prepare for the transfer of responsibility for organising health and social services from municipalities to wellbeing services counties at the start of next year. The amendments concern the Act on Multisectoral Joint Services Promoting Employment (the so-called TYP Act), the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (Integration Act) and the Act on Municipal Experiments to Promote Employment (Municipal experiments Act).

10.2.2022 | The national strategy for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing has been updated. The aim is to identify the causes of severe respiratory infections and to prevent the spread of infections particularly among groups of people who have a high risk of developing a more serious form of the disease.

8.4.2021 | The number of new COVID-19 cases in Finland dropped before Easter, and this downward trend continues. The current restrictions and recommendations and the closure of businesses serving food or beverages have clearly had an impact. The positive trend can be maintained by continuing with the restrictions, and they should not be dismantled too early or too quickly. The number of new cases remains high, amounting to over 3,000 a week.

2.4.2024 | A shooting took place on Tuesday at Viertola school in Vantaa, in which one pupil died and two were seriously injured. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo gave a statement on the incident at an event for the media in Parliament.

4.2.2021 | The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to grow the week before last, and this trend continued between 25 and 31 January. The positive news is that the number of people tested in the whole of Finland was considerably higher at the end of January than in late December and early January. Contact tracing works well in municipalities although it takes a lot of hard work. It is essential to trace and break new chains of transmission quickly.

16.3.2020 | On 16 March 2020, the Government decided on additional measures to address the coronavirus outbreak in Finland. The aim of the measures is to protect the population and to safeguard the functioning of society and the economy. The measures will be in force until 13 April 2020. The Government has announced, in cooperation with the President of the Republic, that there is a state of emergency in the country as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

22.12.2021 | The Government has issued a resolution on the adoption of the national emergency brake mechanism. In managing the COVID-19 epidemic, Finland has returned to extensive restrictions and recommendations which are guided by national legislation. 

22.8.2022 | A recent study by Helsinki Region Environmental Services HSY shows that many people still dispose of their medicines incorrectly. Particularly young people dispose of expired or unused medicines by simply binning them or flushing them down the drain. Older people, on the other hand, most often return such medicines to a pharmacy, which is the correct way. Expired and unused medicines should alw...

5.5.2021 | The 2021 municipal elections will be held on Sunday 13 June. In the elections, local councillors and deputy councillors will be elected for the next four-year term. The term of office of the local councils will begin on 1 August 2021 and last until 31 May 2025.

31.1.2022 | From February 2022 onwards, EU COVID-19 vaccination certificates will be accepted for travel purposes for a period of nine months since the administration of the last dose of the primary vaccination series. As of yet, no acceptance period will apply to certificates issued following the administration of booster doses.

16.2.2021 | The Government has completed and published its draft proposal for the family leave reform. The draft proposal will be circulated for comments between 19 February and 2 April 2021. 

2.2.2023 | The Government submitted the first supplementary budget proposal for 2023 to Parliament on Thursday 2 February.

2.2.2023 | The Government submitted the first supplementary budget proposal for 2023 to Parliament on Thursday 2 February.

21.5.2025 | English Style Guide A handbook for translators, revisers and authors of government texts Prime Minister’s Office, Finland ENGLISH STYLE GUIDE | PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, FINLAND | 2025 2 Contents Quick reference guide .................................

27.9.2021 | The Government proposes appropriations of about EUR 15.9 billion for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its administrative branch for 2022. This is about EUR 1.9 billion less than in the 2021 Budget. The decrease is mainly due to one-off payments to compensate for the costs caused by COVID-19 to the healthcare and welfare service system.

12.3.2020 | In its negotiations on Thursday 12 March, the Government discussed the coronavirus outbreak and decided on recommendations and preparedness measures.

25.5.2021 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has issued a decree on the digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate that will be available in the My Kanta Pages. The decree will lay down provisions whereby certificates of vaccinations, laboratory test results and recovery from COVID-19 will be available to people in the My Kanta Pages. The decree will enter into force on 25 May 2021.

26.3.2021 | Prime Minister’s presentation speech at the referral debate in Parliament on the government proposal to Parliament for an act on the temporary restriction of freedom of movement and close contacts. Changes possible during the speech.

21.5.2025 | English Style Guide A handbook for translators, revisers and authors of government texts Prime Minister’s Office, Finland ENGLISH STYLE GUIDE | PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, FINLAND | 2025 2 Contents Quick reference guide .................................

19.2.2021 | The amendments to the Communicable Diseases Act have been approved, and they will enter into force on 22 February 2021. They will strengthen the possibilities of local and regional authorities to take proactive and swift measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Most of the amendments will remain in force until 30 June 2021. 

26.5.2021 | Finland’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate is now available in the My Kanta Pages. However, at first some people may have to wait a while before they can view their vaccination certificate, as there are some delays in data transfer to the My Kanta Pages.

12.3.2020 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Education and Culture will issue a recommendation to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to protect professionals and persons at risk.

16.4.2024 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government has agreed on the General Government Fiscal Plan for 2025–2028. The Government has made decisions that will improve the sustainability of public finances and create conditions for reversing the trend in indebtedness. The decisions aim to safeguard the key factors for future prosperity: employment, security, and knowledge and competence. Fairness has been one of the guiding principles of the decisions.

16.4.2024 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government has agreed on the General Government Fiscal Plan for 2025–2028. The Government has made decisions that will improve the sustainability of public finances and create conditions for reversing the trend in indebtedness. The decisions aim to safeguard the key factors for future prosperity: employment, security, and knowledge and competence. Fairness has been one of the guiding principles of the decisions.

15.3.2021 | The Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland will boost investment in emissions reducing solutions, accelerate sustainable growth in the economy, and create long-term growth potential. Half of the funding involved will be for promoting a green transition, and about a quarter will be for digitalisation. The Programme will also boost public investment in research, development and innovation by approximately EUR 700 million.

10.6.2022 | Finland’s maternity clinic system celebrates its centenary this year. The system began in a renovated log cabin room of the Children’s Castle hospital in Helsinki.

19.5.2021 | Finland’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be available in the My Kanta pages as of 26 May. However, not all users will able to view their vaccination certificate on the launch date.

14.7.2021 | The EU Digital COVID Certificate, which is available in the My Kanta Pages, will also include a test certificate and a certificate of recovery as of 14 July. The EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate has been available in the My Kanta Pages since 22 June.

17.6.2021 | Finland’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be updated and made interoperable with the EU Digital COVID Certificate as of 22 June. This means that the EU Digital COVID Certificate will be available to people in the My Kanta Pages starting on 22 June.

4.5.2020 | On Sunday 3 May and today 4 May, the Government held an informal meeting to discuss an action plan for a hybrid strategy to manage the coronavirus crisis and for ways of gradually lifting the restrictive measures. The Government will adopt a related resolution at its plenary session where it sets out in detail the particular decisions taken. The Government’s decisions are based on the first phase...

13.8.2021 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes appropriations of about EUR 16.5 billion for the Ministry and its administrative branch for 2022. This is about EUR 1.3 billion less than in the 2021 Budget. The decrease is mainly due to one-off payments to compensate for the costs caused by COVID-19 to the healthcare and welfare service system. The biggest increases arise from the dismantling of the backlog in treatment and services and the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.