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Finland to end state of emergency as COVID-19 cases drop – Metro US

Finland to end state of emergency as COVID-19 cases drop

FILE PHOTO: Finland starts a three weeks long partial lockdown
FILE PHOTO: Finland starts a three weeks long partial lockdown

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Finland should end its COVID-19 state of emergency as infection rates decline, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Tuesday, adding that the issue would go before parliament.

“We see that the conditions no longer call for the emergency powers legislation,” Marin said.

On April 9, Marin had presented https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/finland-aims-gradually-ease-covid-19-restrictions-pm-says-2021-04-09 a plan to relax restrictions in the run-up to the summer.

The state of emergency was declared on March 1 because of a third spike in COVID-19 infections that began in late January.

The daily number of coronavirus infections has been decreasing since mid-March and Finland remains among the countries least affected by the pandemic. The nation of 5.5 million people has recorded 86,161 cases, 908 deaths and has 132 people hospitalised due to COVID-19.

(Reporting by Essi Lehto, editing by Estelle Shirbon)