The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has recommended that any person who travelled to Finland from the United Kingdom on or after 7 December apply for a coronavirus test.
The recommendation is applicable even if there are no symptoms of the virus, THL added, and also applies to persons who may have already taken a coronavirus test once or even twice since coming to Finland from the UK.
In a press release (in Finnish), the health agency said it is aiming to ensure that the new, more infectious variant of coronavirus does not spread in Finland, especially through infected, but asymptomatic infected, people.
"Little is known about the properties of the new coronavirus variant, but it may be more contagious and thus more effective in spreading. However, there is no evidence that the variant would cause more severe Covid-19 infections or increase case mortality," the THL press release read, noting that no cases of the new variant have been detected in Finland by the time of the release of Monday’s statement.
However, the recommendation does not apply to any person who has been instructed to quarantine or self-isolate by an infectious disease physician.
Finland suspended all passenger flight traffic from the UK for two weeks from Monday.