The government is putting the finishing touches on a new coronavirus travel model that will determine how tourists arriving in Finland are tested at the border, according to Yle’s sources.
A decision in principle on the new model has been made, but details still need to be agreed, sources have revealed. The Government will endeavor to publish both the decision-in-principle and the new measures at the same time in order to avoid confusion or ambiguity.
Tourism companies in particular have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the government’s decision.
According to Yle’s information, the new measures state that a negative coronavirus test result from the country of origin is sufficient for a passenger to travel to Finland for a maximum of three days. Thus, a prospective tourist does not have to take a coronavirus test at the Finnish border or during their stay.
However, during a trip between three and seven days, the tourist must take a second coronavirus test after 72 hours in Finland, but he or she does not have to be quarantined.
If the trip lasts more than seven days, the infectious disease doctor will evaluate possible measures at the border on a case-by-case basis.
No negative test results under certain conditions
In addition, the new measures mean that if the coronavirus situation in the tourist’s country of origin is better than in Finland – based on the infection rate of the previous two weeks – no negative test results are needed at the border.
According to the source, the government has justified this because in such a situation, there would be no epidemiological reason to quarantine a tourist or impose a certain number of tests.
Last week, Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs rejected the previous version of the model because it was still considered incomplete, especially from the point of view of citizens’ fundamental rights.
Source: The Nordic Page