Even though it's well over a month before the holiday season is upon us, Finland's main Swedish language daily, Hufvudstadsbladet, is urging its readers to start some forward planning especially in light of the impact of the coronavirus epidemic.
In an interview with the paper, Heikki Kaukoranta, who is an infection control specialist and chief physician for the City of Vaasa, says that anyone intending to celebrate Christmas should give careful thought to safety during family gatherings.
The number of cases of Covid-19 has steadily decreased in the Vaasa healthcare district in recent weeks following a recent serious outbreak. Kaukoranta attributes the fall to basic measures of quarantines and safe distancing.
As for celebrating Christmas 2020, Heikki Kaukoranta lists a few ways that the season can go ahead as normal, but also some important guidelines that should be kept in mind.
He told Hufvudstadsbladet he believes that people should be able to go ahead and carry on with normal seasonal activities such as attending church services and gift shopping.
"You can go to the Christmas fair. There will certainly be some restrictions in place in the church, but the services will also be broadcast live," he pointed out.
Since the majority of Covid-19 cases can be traced back to the family circle, Kaukoranta urges anyone when planning their Christmas to carefully consider whether it should include family gatherings.
"For the nuclear family, it is perfectly okay to socialise, but you should perhaps consider whether or not to visit the elderly and those with preexisting conditions," says Kaukoranta.
Keeping in mind the protection afforded by face masks and social distancing, this expert said, "We should be able to have a goodtime together during Christmas despite the coronavirus."
Proper mask use
The tabloid Iltalehti points out the recommendations on the use of face masks from the National Institute for Health and Welfare's(THL) are currently in force nationwide.
It reminds its readers that the use of masks helps prevents the spread of droplets carrying pathogens. However, it also notes that one sees people in shops and on the street with a mask not covering their nose or sometimes pulled around their neck while talking on the phone, for example.
These are simple mistakes that undermine the effectiveness of masks.
Professor Ali Harlin of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland told Iltalehti that not only do some people wear masks incorrectly, they often choose the wrong size, leaving the nose ,mouth, or chin uncovered.
The paper provides a list of things that should be kept in mind that can impact the effectiveness of masks and their use.
- Check the fit. Try different masks to find a suitable model for your face that you can breathe through and that fits well. The mask must cover the face, nose, mouth and chin so that there are no large gaps on the sides.
If a fabric mask is used, it must sit firmly. If you have to constantly adjust a fabric mask and touch your face, it's more harm than good.
- Touch only with clean hands. Using a face mask requires care. The mask must always be handled with clean hands. Use the straps to remove the mask. Wash or disinfect your hands after removing the mask.
- Disposable means single use. Disposable masks should not be reused, and should be replace after about an hour's use. VTT recently investigated whether disposable masks can be washed at home and reused. The study showed that disposable masks can be washed, but it reduces their effectiveness.
- Don't fuss with your mask. The mask should not be touched during use or pull under the chin or onto the forehead during use.
- Clean cloth masks properly. Cloth masks should be washed at 60C after each use or cleaned by boiling for five minutes in water to which a little detergent has been added.
- It's only one precaution. Iltalehti also reminds readers that face masks are only one means of inhibiting the spread of the coronavirus and do not provide complete protection. The effectiveness of masks is based in part on them being used by as many people as possible. They are not a substitute for hand washing and adequate safe distancing.
No taxes
Ilta-Sanomat is among the papers that carries a report by the Uutissuomalainen news service that hundreds of thousands of Finnish residents pay no income tax at all.
It says that over 600,000 Finns did not pay any income taxes in 2018, up from just over 220,000 in 2014.
According to economists, the change is due to cuts in taxation of low-income earners. One big factor behind this was the abolition of the "Yle tax", a fee assessed to support public broadcasting, for the lowest income categories in 2018.
Currently, the Yle tax must be paid if annual income exceeds 14,000 euros after deductions, such as travel expenses. As a result of the change, the number of Yle tax payers fell by approximately 360,000 in 2018 compared to the previous year.
Raising the tax-free income limit for health insurance per diem payments has also eased taxation for income earners.
Corona-spurred opportunities
The farmers' union daily Maaseudun Tulevaisuus reports that the upswing in self-care and remote services is opening new export opportunities for Finnish companies.
Looking at data from the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the paper says that more opportunities for growth in exports have opened related to energy solutions, sustainable utilisation of natural resources, digitalisation and ICT know-how, as well as health and well-being solutions.
It notes that the coronavirus crisis has given a boost to self-care and remote services, fields in which Finnish companies have strong expertise.
It also reports that Finnish food exports have remained at record levels. Exports to China in particular have grown by more than 90 percent, and in a short period of time, China has become Finland's second largest market for food exports. Last year, total food exports increased to 1.75 billion. euros, up by almost almost 13 percent from 2018.