Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
Number of coronavirus infections has clearly increased during the most recent monitoring period
The number and incidence of new coronavirus infections has clearly increased compared to the low figures at the beginning of July. Nevertheless, the number of cases remains relatively small at national level. The increased number of new cases is most evident in Helsinki and the Uusimaa region.
During the latest period (3–9 August 2020), a total of 139 new cases were reported to the communicable diseases register. In the previous week (27 July–2 August 2020) the number of reported cases was 81. In the weeks before, the numbers were smaller than this.
Currently, the estimated basic reproduction number is 1.20-1.60, with a 90 per cent probability.
The incidence of new cases during week 32 was 2.5 per 100,000 inhabitants. The incidence of new cases in the two-week period (weeks 31–32, 27 July–9 August) was 4.0 per 100,000 inhabitants and in the preceding two-week period (weeks 29–30, 13–26 July) it was 1.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Cases of both domestic and foreign origin have been reported in Finland. Some of the new cases are related to identified infection chains and clusters of cases that are being monitored, but the source of all infections is not known. The infection chains of all new cases are carefully tracked in order to prevent new infections as effectively as possible.
The situational picture and modelling group’s most recent and previous reports are available on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL):
On 12 August 2020, the total number of cases in Finland was 7,642. There have been 333 deaths related to the disease. It is estimated that 7,050 people, i.e. over 90 per cent of all confirmed cases, have recovered from the disease.
On 12 August 2020, a total of seven patients were receiving hospital care due to the COVID-19 disease. One of them was in intensive care. The number of hospitalised coronavirus patients has remained at a low level since the beginning of July.
No new cases were reported in 7 hospital districts over the most recent seven-day follow-up period. The incidence of COVID-19 increased in the hospital districts of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Länsi-Pohja, Southwest Finland, Kainuu, North Ostrobothnia, Päijät-Häme, Pirkanmaa and North Savo. More than five new cases were found in the hospital districts of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Länsi-Pohja and North Ostrobothnia. In the hospital district of Helsinki and Uusimaa, the number of cases almost doubled in week 32 compared to week 31.
At present, the testing capacity of laboratories is more than 14,000 samples per day. During the past two weeks (weeks 31–32), the number of COVID-19 tests has continued to be high with 4,000-6,000 tests every day. At national level, the proportion of positive samples of those tested in week 32 was 0.3%.
It is important to continue active testing in order to identify all infection chains and break them in time. Anyone with the slightest symptoms of a coronavirus infection should get tested despite the possible delays in access to testing. Prior to testing and while waiting for the test result, it is extremely important to exercise caution and follow the hygiene guidelines and thus protect other people from potential exposure. More information about the tests:
- Symptoms and treatment of coronavirus (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare)Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab
- Preparedness for coronavirus testing remains important in summer months (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, in Finnish)Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab
- Travel and the coronavirus pandemic – Instructions for travellers and employees arriving in Finland (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare)Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab
Inquiries
Taneli Puumalainen, Chief Physician, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, firstname.lastname@thl.fi (epidemiological situation)
Kari Auranen, Professor, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, firstname.lastname@thl.fi (projection models)
Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki, Strategic Director, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, firstname.lastname@stm.fi (situational picture and modelling group)