Demonstrators gathered at Senate Square in Helsinki on Wednesday, 22 September 2021, as councillors voted on whether or not to incorporate Helsinki City Transport (HKL). (Heikki Saukkomaa – Lehtikuva)

THE CITY COUNCIL of Helsinki on Wednesday voted 64 in favour and 24 against the incorporation of Helsinki City Transport (HKL).

Members of the Christian Democrats, Finns Party and Left Alliance voted against the long-discussed proposal as demonstrators protested against the incorporation at the nearby Senate Square in Helsinki.

A choir instructor led a practice in Helsinki on 26 August 2021. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

THE CAPITAL REGION of Finland has announced its intent to lift restrictions on public gatherings on 1 October.

The task force coordinating the regional effort to manage the coronavirus epidemic presented the proposal to the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI) for Southern Finland on Tuesday. The proposal would remove the attendance limits on public gatherings and the capacity limits on municipally operated sports and hobby facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on Monday updated its recommendations on testing under 12-year-olds and the definition of exposure in the context of education. (Teemu Salonen – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNISH INSTITUTE for Health and Welfare (THL) has updated its recommendations for testing children for the new coronavirus, stating that under 12-year-olds no longer need to get tested for flu-like symptoms.

THL on Monday told that under 12-year-olds should get tested if they develop symptoms and have verifiably been exposed to a laboratory-confirmed coronavirus infection in the past two weeks.

Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko (Centre) believes it is not out of the question that income tax rates are lowered before the end of the current electoral term. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

MINISTER of Finance Annika Saarikko (Centre) has raised eyebrows by stating that the government could have an opportunity to cut income tax rates before leaving office, report YLE and Helsingin Sanomat.

Finland Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday unveiled a proposal that income taxation be relaxed across the board by roughly two percentage points during the next electoral term – a move that would dent tax revenues by two billion euros.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru (SDP) shed light on amendments proposed to the communicable diseases act in a news conference in Helsinki on Tuesday, 21 September 2021. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) on Tuesday submitted its long-awaited proposal for a coronavirus pass to the Finnish Parliament.

The proposal states that the pass would be put to use only in the event that the epidemiological situation deteriorates and regional authorities have to re-introduce restrictions to smother infection clusters.

A young woman received an injection of the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine in Helsinki on 30 June 2021. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)

THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) on Friday announced it has launched a third round of coronavirus vaccinations in an attempt to prevent a batch of 15,000 vaccine doses from expiring.

The decision was made by the hospital district and municipalities represented in the regional coronavirus coordination group on Thursday.

Both the employer company’s payroll office and the individual worker can save time with the program interface that gives employers the workers’ current withholding rates, i.e. their tax-card information. Later in 2021 the interface will contain new features that are designed for payors of pensions and social benefits.

British citizens in Finland must apply for a right of residence under the UK's withdrawal agreement no later than 30 September.

By the end of August, a total of 3,923 so-called Brexit permit applications had been submitted.

How much does teleworking reduce emissions from transport? What about transport services or combined transport? Three studies provide new information on ways to reduce emissions.