Updated on 28 August at 13:30.

Nationally, the number of new infections remains relatively low. The number of new cases and incidence have increased compared to the low figures at the beginning of July, but have remained stable for the past three weeks. THL continues to monitor the epidemic situation closely.

This page is updated on weekdays, and the Corona map will be updated on a daily basis. Hospital districts report deaths associated with the disease and the number of patients in hospital and intensive care three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The situation in Finland in brief

• Reported cases in total: 8,042 (+ 23*)
• Tested samples in total approximately 615,700 (+ approx. 9,800*)
  * Change from previous day.
  – The change in the total number of cases reported to the register is 23 cases. All these cases are new cases, identified during the previous two weeks.
  – The number of tested samples also shows the change compared to the previous day. The number of tested samples can adjust retrospectively.
  – Also see below for information on Reporting of data.
• A total of 335 (+ 0**) deaths associated with the disease have been reported.
• The number of people in hospital care in Finland is 11 (+ 6**)
• The number of patients in intensive care in Finland is 1 (+ 0**)
  ** The numbers show the change compared to Wednesday, 26 August.
• In relation to Finland’s total population (5,543,233), the prevalence of cases is 145 cases per 100,000 people.
• During the most recent seven-day monitoring period (19–25 August), 136 new cases were diagnosed. The incidence of new cases in relation to the population was 2.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. During the previous monitoring period (12–18 August), the corresponding figures were 192 new cases, with an incidence of 3.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
  • Reporting delays can affect the numbers stated for the most recent monitoring period. It is therefore not possible to draw any certain conclusions on the increase or decrease of cases on the basis of the most recent monitoring period.
• Virus testing currently has a capacity of over 14,000 tests per day.
• An estimated 7,200 people have recovered, which is over 90% of reported cases. The estimate is based on the follow-up of the observed cases over a period of three weeks (21 days). A person is considered to have recovered, when they do not have any follow-up data related to the progress of the illness after 3 weeks have passed from diagnosis. The estimate is updated once a week on Wednesdays, the estimate has been updated on 26 August.

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On this page

• Information by region
• Coronavirus-related deaths
• Testing in Finland 
• Hybrid Strategy indicators
• Reporting of information
• The current status of the epidemic in other countries

Information by region

• Nationally, the number of new infections remains  low, but their incidence has increased compared to the figures at the beginning of July.

• Incidence has changed as follows during the last seven-day monitoring period (19–25 August) compared to the previous seven-day monitoring period (12–18 August):

• Incidence has increased in four areas compared to the previous seven days:

  • The largest number of new cases have been recorded in the hospital districts of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Central Finland as well as Southwest Finland.
  • In the other regions, where new cases have been diagnosed, there has only been less than kymmenen new cases per region during the last seven-day monitoring period.
• Incidence decreased or remained the same in most (17/21) of the hospital districts:
• No new cases were diagnosed in eight of these areas during the most recent monitoring period.

People hospitalised due to coronavirus and deaths associated with the disease

The table shows the number of patients that have been hospitalised due to COVID-19 and the number of deaths associated with the disease by catchment area. The figures are based on information reported by the hospital districts. The patient situation is reported by catchment area to ensure patient privacy. Turku University Hospital catchment area also includes data for Åland. Information has been updated on 28 August.

The graph shows the number of people in hospital care due to having contracted COVID-19 in relation to a million residents by catchment area. Graph updated on 28 August.

The graph shows the number of people in intensive care due to having contracted COVID-19 in relation to a million residents by catchment area. The graph is updated on business days. Graph updated on 28 August.

• National office for the coordination of intensive care headed by the Kuopio University Hospital (KUS) published weekly intensive care reports during the spring until 11 June.
• Previous reports: Updates on the COVID-19 epidemic and the national situational picture report on intensive care (in Finnish)

Coronavirus-related deaths

• Thus far, the National Infectious Diseases Register has accumulated information on 335 fatalities and more detailed information is available on these. Of them, 48 percent were men and 52 percent were women. The median age of the deceased is 84.

The graph shows the age distribution of the deceased whose deaths were related to COVID-19. The protection of privacy has been taken into account in the breakdown of age groups. For example, if there are 1–4 cases, the number is reported in the statistic as <5, and is shown in the graph with a light grey of a standard size. No further information will be given on these cases. Data source Infectious Diseases Register. The information is updated once a week on Wednesdays. The information has been updated on 26 August.

• More detailed information on where the deceased had been treated immediately prior to their death has been collected from hospital districts on 335 individuals:
  • Of the deceased, 20 per cent were in specialised medical care, 35 per cent in primary health care units, 44 per cent in social welfare 24-hour units and 1 per cent at home or elsewhere.
• The majority (over 90 percent) of the deceased persons for whom more detailed health information is available had one or more long-term illnesses.
• The coronavirus epidemic has not increased total mortality in Finland. Deaths of working-age people are very rare, and no deaths of children and young people have been diagnosed in Finland.

Testing of coronavirus samples in Finland

• Virus testing at the acute phase of illness and tracing of infections can be used to prevent the spread of coronavirus, to protect risk groups and to ensure the adequacy of critical personnel and the carrying capacity of health care services. In addition, a situational picture that is as precise as possible will be created on the progress of the epidemic in Finland.
• The goal is to test everyone suspected of having an acute stage coronavirus infection.
• If you have symptoms consistent with coronavirus, get yourself tested. THL recommends coronavirus testing at a low threshold.
• The actual number of overall cases Finland has had is likely higher than reported. Not all those with mild symptoms were tested in the early stages of the epidemic, and there is no data on the number of current asymptomatic cases.
• Coronavirus samples are being collected and analysed by numerous laboratories in both the public and private sectors.
• The coronavirus test indicates an acute infection. Antibody tests can be used to monitor the progress of the epidemic, but are not as of yet reliable in assessing whether or not an individual has had the disease.

Indicators on the effectiveness of Finland's hybrid strategy

• The effectiveness of Finland's hybrid strategy in combating the coronavirus epidemic is monitored using epidemiological, medical, and functional indicators.
• The monitoring report by the Situational Picture and Modelling Working Group appointed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is published once a week on the THL website:
  • Monitoring of the coronavirus (in Finnish)
  • Situation assessment report, 26 August, 2020 (pdf, 966 kt, in Finnish)

Reporting of information

• Hospital districts report the numbers for patients in hospital care and deaths associated with the disease.
• New cases are reported to the National Infectious Diseases Register according to the date the sample was taken.
  • The reported new cases can be spread over several days due to reporting delays. Delays can be related to, for example, the recording of samples and data transfer.
  • The National Infectious Diseases Register automatically combines physician’s reports and laboratory reports concerning the same person into a single case. As data is combined, daily case numbers may change and become more specific,
  • Information may also change regionally, if more background information is available on persons and the cases are then recorded in another area.
  • All confirmed COVID-19 cases are reported to the National Infectious Diseases Register regardless of where the cases are treated.
  • The National Infectious Diseases Register (NIDR) retrieves information on deaths from the Population Information System on all cases recorded in the NIDR. It is estimated that COVID-19 has been involved in the chain of events leading to the death, if the patient has died within one month of testing positive. The estimated total number of deaths associated with the disease recorded in the National Infectious Diseases Register may differ from the numbers reported by hospital districts.
• Tested samples are reported according to their date of analysis.
  • Laboratories report the number of tested samples to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare by hospital district. Data on sample numbers may also change when these are checked and specified retrospectively.

The current status of the epidemic in other countries

• A total of more than 23 million corona infections have been reported globally. A total of over 800,000 deaths associated with the disease have been reported.
• A total of over 4 million cases of coronavirus and more than 217,000 deaths associated with the disease have been reported in Europe (WHO European Region).
• The epidemic situation in Europe varies from country to country. In some countries, local restrictions have been retaken as the epidemic situation has changed.
• A total of more than 124,000 cases of coronavirus and over 7,000 deaths associated with the disease have been reported in the Nordic countries.
• Number of cases in different countries (WHO)  
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak (WHO)
• Numbers of cases in European countries (WHO)
• A summary of cases diagnosed in Europe on the ECDC website.
• COVID-19 (ECDC)

The graph shows the incidence of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in the Nordic countries, Baltic states and Russia for the two previous 14-day monitoring periods. The direction and colour of the arrow indicate a decrease (Green) or an increase (Red) in incidence. If the incidence has remained the same, it is shown in the graph with a green arrowhead. At the blue vertical line, the incidence is 10/100,000. The Government has decided on restriction-free travel to the Schengen area countries whose two-week incidence is less than 8/100,000 for the entire population. The graph's cases have been listed according to their reporting date based on publicly available information the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The graph is updated once a week on Wednesdays for the situation update. Graph updated on 26 August.

The graph shows diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in relation to the population in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Estonia. As testing volumes and strategies vary from country to country, a direct comparison of these figures only gives a partial picture of the outbreak situations in the countries. The graph's cases have been listed according to their reporting date based on publicly available information the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The graph is updated once a week on Wednesdays for the situation update. Graph updated on 26 August.

See also

• THL corona map
• More information on the corona map.
• THL symptoms map
• More information on the Symptoms Map

Research

• THL is researching the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the population and regionally. For more information on studies, see below:
  • Weekly report on the serological population study of the coronavirus epidemic
  • Monitoring of coronavirus at wastewater treatment plants