THE LATEST DATA ON COVID-19 INFECTIONS IN FINLAND has revealed that a number of municipalities that are on the border with Sweden now have some of the highest rates of infection per 100,000 people in the country, with several places having higher rates than the capital region.
According to data from THL, Ylitornio, Kolari, and Kittilä, all municipalities that are on or close to the border with Sweden, have infection rates that are higher than the Helsinki region. Ylitornio has 718 confirmed cases per 100,000 people, while Kolari and Kittilä have 464 and 420 per 100,000 respectively. Meanwhile, Helsinki has a total of 408 confirmed cases per 100,000 people.
Sweden has followed a controversial approach to tackling the pandemic, opting to place relatively few restrictions on its citizens. As a result, Sweden has among the highest rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the world. Although cross-border traffic has been severely restricted between the two countries, activity has risen markedly in the past few weeks.
Adam Oliver Smith - HT
Image Credit: Lehtikuva
