Electronic system coronavirus vaccination certificates should be in place by the end of April, says Wednesday morning Helsingin sanomat newspaper.
The news follows a board meeting at the Estates House on Tuesday night, where measures to strengthen virus-related restrictions were also discussed.
The price tag for the certification system is estimated to be about 3.5 million euros, the magazine reports. Vaccination certificates are accessed through Omakanta’s online prescription and health information system, which generates a scannable barcode or QR code.
It is possible that vaccination certificates are one way in which the government manages the reopening of businesses and operations during a pandemic. According to the Minister of the Interior HS Maria Ohisalo (Green) highlighted the use of certificates as a means to support the industry with the worst incidents.
"We have heard a request for assistance, but business support has not been enough to help the event industry," Ohisalo said.
Tighter pandemic restrictions may be coming
Daily tabloid Evening paper reports of proposals that the government could plan to impose earlier closing times on restaurants.
Citing its own sources, the paper argues that the Department of Social Affairs and Health is considering a change that would allow restaurants to close their doors in the early evening. Mooted closing times range from 6pm to 8pm, it is written.
The restrictions will be taken into account at a meeting of social and health ministers on Wednesday.
Tighter opening hours would be possible if the government’s proposal to temporarily amend the Communicable Diseases Act is approved in Parliament on Friday, Iltalehti says.
The amended law would allow municipalities and regional authorities to impose restrictions on companies, including reducing working hours or ordering closures. In return, companies would receive compensation.
Peat producers are not aware of EU support
Finnish peat producers do not see benefits from EU fund, which is planned to move away from greenhouse gas emissions, it will be announced on Wednesday Future of the countryside.
An article focusing on rural affairs mentions claims that Just Transition Fund (JTF) funding will not help peat producers facing the closure of their livelihoods.
MS quotes Asko Peltola, The regional chairman of the JTF of Southern Ostrobothnia, according to which the JTF supports, for example, the retraining of Polish coal miners, but not mine owners.
Marko VainionpääThe vice-president of the Association of Machine Entrepreneurs told the newspaper "the only sensible option is to maintain eight million megawatt hours of production to maintain security of energy supply and to secure the operation of small peat companies and thermal power plants."
Peat has become a controversial topic in recent years due to relatively high CO2 emissions from both production and combustion.
Last year, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra said that Finland must stop using peat as a fuel earlier than planned if the carbon-neutral target set by the government by 2035 is achieved.
In 2018, peat covered only 4.5 percent of Finland’s energy needs. Industrial employment accounted for 0.1 per cent of the Finnish workforce, and the share of value added generated by the Finnish economy was also less than 0.1 per cent, the fund claimed.