The Turku health authorities announced that the city is now delivering tests on flights from Skipje, northern Macedonia, after the city’s decision not to test passengers on several recent flights was due to negative publicity.
Persons arriving on a flight arriving on Saturday, January 2 will now be asked to take the test.
Tourists arriving in Turku on a flight from Skopje, northern Macedonia, on Saturday will be asked to take the Covid test, which will change the city’s previous policy on holiday flights.
Jane MarttilaA doctor from the municipality of Turku said that the city changed course on Wednesday.
"We discussed the situation and got the necessary testing team together," said Marttila. "We’ll meet the machine unless something extraordinary happens."
Marttila denied the decision was based on the availability of personnel.
"These decisions are made on the basis of the number of aircraft coming to Turku and the epidemiological situation in the country of origin," said Marttila.
There had been no situation where the city wanted to test passengers and no staff could be found, according to Marttila.
Media storm and mayor’s comments
The trend reversed after Turku Mayor Minna Arve questioned a previous decision not to test passengers on Skopje flights during Christmas.
On Tuesday evening, Helsingin Sanomat reported that passengers who arrived on two flights from Skopje to Turku at Christmas arrived without a virus test.
One of these flights had 21 passengers and the other aircraft 65 people.
Health officials last tested a group of passengers arriving from Skopje on 19 December, the first day flights were resumed from northern Macedonia.
The route was suspended at the beginning of November, when more than 80 Covid-19 cases of passengers arriving in Finland from Skopje had been detected since the summer.
On December 19, four of the 42 passengers tested were positive for the virus.
Passengers received guidance but were not tested
Jane MarttilaThe City of Turku’s infectious disease doctor said that the health authorities greeted all the passengers who arrived. The municipality’s efforts at Turku Airport are carried out in co-operation with the Finnish Red Cross.
Passengers are now required to have a negative test result before boarding a plane in Skopje.
"All [passengers] The planes landing at Turku Airport are greeted and passengers are given personal instructions on how to proceed in Finland," Marttila explained.
No other testing plans have been confirmed since this Saturday, as a joint working group between the Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku Airport, the Border Guard and the municipality meets weekly to make such arrangements.
"The working group will consider which flights will be tested," Marttila said.