Finland's largest circulation daily, Helsingin Sanomat, is among the papers reporting that the Finnish Food Safety Authority will be starting intensified testing on mink farms in Ostrobothnia to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus infections.
Terhi Laaksonen, Director of the authority's Animal Health and Welfare Department, says that so far only a few farms have been tested for coronavirus.
Denmark's government announced this week that all mink in that country will be destroyed after it was discovered that some carry a mutated form of the novel coronavirus that has spread to humans.
The first phase of testing will involve 30 farms in ten different municipalities in parts of Ostrobothnia, where most of Finland's approximately 700 fur farms are located.
During this first phase, testing will take a couple of weeks, after which it will be extended to all Finnish fur farms.
Helsingin Sanomat quotes from a press release from the Finnish Fur Breeders’ Association saying that operators agree that it is important to test the animals.
Laaksonen told the paper that fur farms have strict safeguards in place to prevent humans from infecting the animals. She added that while in principle it is possible that infections can occur, it is also possible to prevent them.
According to Laaksonen, the farms being selected for advanced testing are in areas reporting higher rates of coronavirus infections.
"The more people have infections, the greater the risk of mink getting infected," she said.
Terhi Laaksonen pointed out that processed fur or leather is not a risk of infection, even if a living animal had a coronavirus.
"The coronavirus dies on surfaces fairly quickly. There may be a risk in the early stages from skins, but not afterwards," Laaksonen stated.
Help for the shipping sector
The country's main Swedish-language newspaper, Hufvudstadsbladet, writes that the Finnish government is planning further financial support for maritime shipping companies whose business has been badly impacted by the effects of the coronavirus epidemic.
On Thursday, the government submitted a bill on support measures to parliament that would allow the state to temporarily reimburse shipping companies for the employer's share of unemployment insurance payments and other legally mandated contributions. The value of these repayments is estimated by Transport Ministry officials at between six and seven million euros.
The maritime sector has already received several support packages. At the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic, shipping companies received 45 million euros in support from the National Emergency Supply Agency. The Transport and Communications Agency Traficom has also set aside 25 million euros to aid shipping companies.
In addition, the Ministry of Finance has reserved 600 million euros targeted to provide government guarantees for loans to shipping industry companies considered critical to the country's supply chain.
Even in normal times, shipping companies, including cargo and passenger firms, receive major state subsidies. According to Hufvudstadsbladet, these total 200-300 million euros annually in the form of direct support and tax relief.
Falling interest in language studies
The tabloid Ilta-Sanomat is among the papers that carries a syndicated Uutissuomalainen report that Finnish universities are having problems recruiting students to take up advanced foreign language studies.
The number of applicants for foreign language courses at universities has decreased or remained unchanged in all languages, except English. Openings for Russian and German are not being filled at most of the country's universities that offer a languages major, says Uutissuomalainen.
It is also increasingly difficult to find enough students to fill seats in other foreign languages courses, such as French and Italian in order to maintain course offerings.
"General interest in studying languages at the university level may have weakened, and students may consider [post-graduation] employment weak," says Sanna Mäkilä, Head of Academic and Student Affairs at Turku University's Faculty of Humanities.
As an example, the report points to Tampere University as being the only institution that offers a Russian-language degree program where all starting places were filled this year.
Autumn heatwave
Friday may well see a new record temperature set for the month of November in Finland, according to tabloid daily Iltalehti.
The paper reports on a blog post by Foreca meteorologist Joanna Rinne, which says that a combination of a very warm southern air mass and dry, warm winds is creating conditions that could lead to record highs.
A new November heat record was set earlier this week when the mercury hit 14.7C in Pori.
Finnish Meteorological Institute meteorologist Antti Jylhä-Ollila, confirmed to Iltalehti that Friday will see unseasonably warm weather, especially on the west and southwest coasts, rising to between 13 and 14 degrees Celsius.
However, the weather is windy, which means that the air may not feel so warm since the sun shines so low in the sky at this time of year. But warm considering the season," said Jylhä-Ollila.