Updated on Mon 28 September at 16:10.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is closely monitoring the development of the epidemic. The situational review page is updated on weekdays and the corona map daily. 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.

Finland’s situation in brief

• Reported cases in total: 9,743 (+ 259*)
  • On Saturday 26 September, 93 new cases were reported.
  • On Sunday 27 September, 105 new cases were reported.
  • On Monday 28 September, 61 new cases were reported.
• Tested samples in total approximately 975,800 (+ 25,300*)
  * The change in the total number of cases reported to the register compared to last Friday (25 September) is 259 cases. All cases are new and are distributed over a period of two weeks.
  * The number of samples tested also describes the change in the total number of tests compared to last Friday. Sample counts may be adjusted retroactively to a more specific figure. Also see below for information on Reporting of data.
• A total of 345 (+ 2**) deaths associated with the disease have been reported.
• The number of people in hospital care in Finland is 22 (+ 1**)
• The number of people in intensive care in Finland is 4 (+ 2**)
  ** The information was updated on Monday 28 September. The figures describe the change compared to the situation on Friday 25 September.
• In relation to Finland’s total population (5,543,233), the prevalence of cases is 176 cases per 100,000 people.
• During the most recent fourteen-day monitoring period (12–25 September), 1,011 new cases were diagnosed. The incidence of new cases in relation to the population was 18.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
• During the previous fourteen-day monitoring period (29 August–11 September), the corresponding figures were 535 new cases, with an incidence of 9.7 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 is about 20,000 tests per day.
• An estimated 7,850 people have recovered, which is over 80% 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 was last updated on 23 September.

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On this page

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

Information by region

• The regional incidence will be monitored in the situation review for 14-day monitoring periods. A comparison of 14 day monitoring periods will reflect changes in incidence and the status of the epidemic over a longer period of time.
• Regional incidence has changed as follows during the last 14 days (12–25 September) compared to the previous 14-day monitoring period (29 August–11 September):
• Incidence has increased in 18/21 regions compared to the previous 14 days.
  • The largest number of new cases have been recorded in the hospital districts of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Central Finland, Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, South Savo, Southwest Finland, Kanta-Häme, Pohjois-Savo and Pohjois-Karjala.
  • In the other regions where new cases have been diagnosed, there have been fewer cases, under twenty new cases per region during the latest monitoring 14-day monitoring period.
• Incidence decreased or remained the same in 3/21 hospital districts.
• New cases were diagnosed in every region during the most recent 14-day 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 September.

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 September.

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 September.

Coronavirus-related deaths

• Thus far, the National Infectious Diseases Register has accumulated information on 342 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 23 September.

• More detailed information on where the deceased had been treated immediately prior to their death has been collected  from hospital districts on all 343 individuals:
  • Of the deceased, 20 per cent were in specialised medical care, 35 per cent in primary health care units, 43 per cent in social welfare 24-hour units and 2 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.

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, 23 September 2020 (pdf, 1.2 MB, 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

• Globally, the incidence of new cases is currently highest on the American continents. Also, the incidence has risen in several countries in Europe. On other continents the incidence of new cases has risen in Libya, Oman, Iraq and India.
• In Europe, the largest number of new cases in relation to population have been reported in Spain, Czech Republic and France. Many new cases in relation to population have also been reported in Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Balkan region.
• In Finland's neighbouring areas, incidence rates have risen in nearly all countries, mostly in Denmark and Iceland.
• A total of more than 142,000 cases of coronavirus and over 7,100 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. 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 23 September.

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