Monday 26 July 2021

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The winners of the poster contest have been selected! Read more: https://koronaturvallinenlappi.fi/julistekilpailu/

The translated version of the coronavirus review for Lapland is published once a week.
Everyone staying in Lapland must take a coronavirus test even with the slightest of symptoms that are related to the coronavirus.

Links about the current situation:

Official instructions from Lapland to travellers who suspect they may have caught the coronavirus

THL: Travel and the coronavirus pandemic

Additional guidelines, current recommendations, and restrictions for hospital districts

THL: Progress with COVID-19 vaccinations

Lapland Hospital District

The Lapland Hospital District is in the baseline phase of the epidemic.

The incidence rate based on the last two weeks (5–18 July) is 63.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The incidence rate based on one week (12–18 July) is 26.5 per 100,000 inhabitants.

This incidence rate also includes cases of patients who live outside the Lapland Hospital District area. For this reason, the figure can differ from that announced by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) that does not count those living outside of Lapland.  

High levels of infection cases particularly in Rovaniemi – however, most of the infections in the hospital district come from outside the area or from within quarantine

19 new coronavirus infections have been confirmed since the previous review. This means that over the past week, a total of 38 new infections were confirmed in the Lapland Hospital District area. 30 of these cases have been reported for residents or foreigners living in the municipalities of the hospital district, and eight (8) have been reported for people living outside the district. Despite the high incidence rate, most of the infections originate from either elsewhere in Finland or abroad or are infections that came from people already in quarantine. However, three infections were detected last week in Rovaniemi, the origin of which could not be identified. Nevertheless, the number of infections in the City of Rovaniemi is high. 

However, there is little pressure put on hospitals and there are only a few unidentified infections in the hospital district. Therefore, the Lapland Hospital District will remain at the baseline level of the epidemic.

The Lapland Hospital District Infection Control Unit would like to remind people that a coronavirus test should be taken immediately when even the mildest of symptoms occur and before the test results are received, all social contact must be restricted. In the Lapland Hospital District, there is also still a recommendation to use face masks in indoor public places and on public transport. 

For those who have received the first dose of the vaccine, the protection against the disease is around 35% and for those vaccinated with a complete vaccination series the protection is around 85% – the total number of people who have received the complete vaccination series in the hospital district, i.e. both doses of the vaccine, remains very incomplete

At present, 64.1 percent of the population in the Lapland Hospital District have received the first dose of the vaccine and 29.3 percent have received both doses of the vaccine. One dose of the vaccine provides approximately 35% protection against the coronavirus and two doses provide approximately 85% protection. As the coverage of those who have received the complete vaccination series in the hospital district is still very incomplete, there is a risk of the epidemic spreading. There is also a risk of contracting the serious type of the disease and long COVID, i.e. long-term coronavirus syndrome. 

The Infection Control Unit encourages Laplanders to be very active in taking the coronavirus vaccines. 

Possible exposures in Kittilä and Rovaniemi

Persons who have visited the places below may have been exposed to the coronavirus.  All people who have visited these locations at the times stated are urged to take a coronavirus test.

• On Saturday 17 July between the times of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Monday 19 July from 12 noon to 8 p.m. at K-Citymarket in Rovaniemi
• Neste Kittilä on Sunday 18 July and Wednesday 21 July between the times of 6:20 – 8 p.m.
• Levi Hotel Spa on Wednesday 21 July between the times of 1–3.30 p.m. 

Number of positive coronavirus tests confirmed in the Lapland Hospital District by week

Week no. 27 (5–11 July): 43 cases

Week no. 28 (12–18 July): 32 cases

Week no. 29 (19–25 July): 38 cases (as of 26 July at 13:37)

The total number of cases confirmed in the Lapland Hospital District on the basis of coronavirus tests conducted at testing stations is 922. This figure also includes persons living outside the area.

Infection Control Unit

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Länsi-Pohja Hospital District

The Länsi-Pohja Hospital District is now in the baseline phase of the epidemic.

The number of coronavirus infections in the area represent the highest figures reported this summer

Last week (week no. 29, 19–25 July) saw a total of 24 coronavirus cases confirmed in the Länsi-Pohja Hospital District. Five (5) new cases have been reported during the weekend. Tracing the origins of these infections is still ongoing.

By Friday, there was no information available on the variants of the new infections. However, it is to be expected that the majority of cases in Länsi-Pohja are the easily transmissible delta variant, as the majority of new cases in southern Finland have been reported as being the delta variant. The same situation is found on the Swedish side of the border in Norrbotten, where the disease situation as such has fortunately calmed down, for example due to well-advanced vaccinations.

The delta variant also seems to infect people who have received one or even both doses of the vaccine. However, for those who have received the vaccine, the disease is clearly less severe, which strongly advocates the taking of the vaccine.

Number of positive coronavirus tests confirmed in the Länsi-Pohja Hospital District by week

Week no. 27 (5–11 July): Four (4) cases

Week no. 28 (12–18 July): Six (6) cases

Week no. 29 (19–25 July): 24 cases (as of 26 July at 9:55)

The total number of cases confirmed in the Länsi-Pohja Hospital District on the basis of coronavirus tests conducted at testing stations is 769.

Infection Control Unit