Tampere-based Aamulehti reported about the Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services, Krista Kiuru (SDP), announcing expanded availability of Covid-19 booster vaccines.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Kiuru said the ministry's recommendation was to offer fourth doses to those whose vaccination is considered justified by a physician.
Municipalities, and soon welfare regions, will also be able to determine which groups of people they plan to offer doses of the vaccine—such as those working in the healthcare sector.
"Municipalities or welfare regions can decide whether to follow the current recommendations of the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Although the ministry's Covid-19 working group outlined that vaccines can be provided to people working in the healthcare sector, it's possible that not all providers do so for one reason or another," Kiuru said.
Kiuru added that her ministry is working on an even wider rollout of fourth vaccine dose that would apply to most of the country, echoing her statements last month.
THL announced in October that it is not changing its vaccination recommendations for the time being. Currently, the institute recommends vaccines for people over the age of 65 and those belonging to at-risk groups over the age of 18.
Kiuru said she hoped that healthcare sector will quickly be involved in the Covid-19 vaccination and that it would be able to administer both Covid-19 and influenza vaccines at the same time.
Teen driver expansion faces delay
Keskisuomalainen reported that a reform of lowering the driving age to 17 may be delayed until next year.
Suna Kymäläinen (SPD), parliament's chair of the Transport and Communications Committee, told Uutissuomalainen that it will be delayed because the committee's report is still being prepared. Initially the new law was scheduled to enter into force at the beginning of October.
Parliament only approves or rejects a government bill once the committee's report is ready.
According to Kymäläinen, the report may be delayed until the opening of the spring session of Parliament, which starts on 4 February.
On Monday, Uutissuomalainen reported, based on information from the National Police Board, that 17-year-olds with a driving licence as an exemption to the law are more often guilty of aggravated endangerment of road safety than their peers a year or two older.
In August, the Finnish Road Safety Council said lowering the age limit would be a mistake.
At the beginning of May, the government proposed a law that would allow 17-year-olds to have a limited right to drive in category B with the consent of a guardian. At the moment, a 17-year-old needs a legal exemption permit to get a car driver's licence.
Under the government's proposal, a 17-year-old's licence would not allow them to drive between midnight and 5am.
Not quite November weather in Finland
Iltalehti reported that the end of the week is forecast with exceptionally warm temperatures.
While Finland's November is typically depicted as chilly and grey, IL noted that Foreca projected the weather to turn exceptionally warm and sunny in certain parts of the country.
"According to the current forecast, daytime temperatures will rise to between 9 and 13 degrees Celsius in the south and west of the country on Friday, with temperatures of up to 14 to 15 degrees Celsius possible in Åland," said meteorologist Anna Latvala.
On the other hand, the warmth will not be felt throughout the entire country, as parts of Lapland may see up to 15 centimetres of snowfall.
With projected weather systems moving through the weekend, Sunday—Father's Day in Finland—looks to be the least rainy day of the week.
However, the warm weather is not expected to last.
"By Tuesday morning at the latest, it will be mostly freezing in southern Finland too. Compared to the weekend, the early part of the week will be much cooler," Foreca meteorologist Juha Föhr told IL.