Helsinki Feb 19, (dpa/GNA) – Finland’s parliament on Friday approved several temporary amendments to the Communicable Diseases Act, allowing for mandatory health checks of people – including a Covid-19 test – arriving to the country.
“We have more tools to fight the disease,” said Krista Kiuru, minister of family affairs and social services, after the approval, part of a bid to tackle the pandemic.
For example, a health check could be ordered for travellers arriving from a certain country or for employees at a certain workplace, she said.
Failure to comply could result in a fine, or even a three-month prison term.
As of now, health checks and tests for Covid-19 have been voluntary. Many people have rejected being tested.
A person who has fallen ill or is suspected of having been exposed to a communicable disease will also be obliged to provide information to the health officials trying to trace infection chains. This has previously been voluntary.
Other measures would allow local or regional authorities to limit the number of customers in shops, to order the temporary closure of gyms and spas, or reduce the number of passengers on public transport.
The amendments were to enter into effect on Monday, and run until the end of June.
The Regional State Administrative Agency of southern Finland meanwhile said that public gatherings in the Finnish capital region Uusimaa would be limited to at most six people from Monday until March 14, citing a deteriorating epidemic situation.
The government recently extended tighter entry restrictions amid fears of mutated virus variants.
Finland has recorded about 52,600 coronavirus cases and 726 Covid-19-related deaths.
GNA