Swedish newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet report government negotiations on the next steps planned to combat the coronavirus epidemic.
The magazine writes that no later than Friday, a decision is expected on Parliament’s request to approve the implementation of the four parts of the Emergency Authorization Act. Two of these deal with specific powers in health care restructuring, the other in the crisis decision-making process, and one specifies that the government – not the regional authorities – must inform the various authorities and the public of the decisions taken on the measures.
The Hufvudstadsbladet also says the government’s talks on Wednesday took the opportunity to vaccinate election officials to ensure that local elections can be held on schedule next month. This will require a government decision to adjust the vaccination strategy, and the government is ready to make a decision if it decides that elections will actually be held on April 18th.
Tabloids Iltalehti borrows Chairman of the THL National Vaccination Committee, Ville Peltola, saying that Finland has sought to shift priority to areas with the highest infection rates. So far, the vaccination schedule continues to target social and health care staff, the elderly, and at-risk groups.
Chinese vaccine?
Ilta-Sanomat states Although the availability of vaccines in Finland is constantly delayed, Finland has few options because it is tied to the EU procurement mechanism. This means that bilateral agreements cannot be reached on vaccinations that the EU has already agreed on.
Former director of the University of Tampere Vaccine Research Center Timo Vesikari, told the newspaper that Finland could buy a vaccine that the EU does not procure.
Such vaccines include Sputnik V in Russia and Sinovac in China. Vesikari says both vaccines have proven effective.
But either agreement, he says, is above all a matter of politics.
"Russia is too politically sensitive for Finland. Finland’s political leadership would not break the ranks with the EU and would buy Sputnik from Russia when the EU has sanctions in place. Instead, China could be politically easier for the EU and Finland," Vesikari pointed out.
Vesikari says China has already supplied Sinovac to Turkey, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates. He believes that Finland would have a good chance of getting a sufficient amount of vaccine from China in just a few weeks. As a Western trading partner, this would also be attractive to China.
"China would seem to be a more commercial and less political option, although of course China uses vaccine supplies as a soft political tool," Vesikari stated.
Mika Rämet, the current director of the Vaccine Research Center, told Ilta-Sanomat that he believes the Chinese vaccine will become a significant part of global coronavirus control. However, he does not see it as part of Finland’s vaccine arsenal.
"As the vaccine is not yet in the process of being approved by the European Medicines Agency, it will not be placed on the market quickly enough," Rämet said.
Career advice
Jyväskylä Central Finland tells its readers who may consider a career change from the free counseling services provided by employment offices.
Terhi SaavalainenA psychologist from the Central Finland TE Services told the newspaper that the layoffs caused by the epidemic have clearly increased interest in career change.
"During layoffs, people have more and more thoughts about the uncertainty in their field or have not been able to find another job. Some people also decide to change the field if they have a dream of what they really want to do," he says.
Career guidance is provided by psychologists in TE services. You do not have to be a job seeker to receive the service.
"We offer help to everyone and we have no age limit. Anyone who feels that their own career or studies are not progressing can contact us to discuss a professional," Saavalainen explains.
In practice, the counseling service consists of one to three telephone or video conferences at the onset of the restrictions imposed by the epidemic, with the aim of looking at different career options.
"If you are planning to study a new field, it is important to make sure that it does not complicate your own financial situation, family or relationship. After the groundwork, discussions with a psychologist can help you move forward," Saavalainen says.
Keskisuomalainen writes that anyone who is considering a career change can find more information about national TE services websiteas well as a form for registering for career counseling.
Airport extension
Thursday Helsingin Sanomat transports the object On the ongoing expansion work at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
Work started in 2019 on the extension of the terminal to 2,400,000 square meters is on schedule and should be completed by the end of the year.
Technical Director of Finavia Airport, Henri Hansson, believes that air travel will return when restrictions are lifted.
"Business travel is likely to be reduced by an increase in teleworking. However, short-haul flights are expected to return to pre-epidemic levels in the next few years, as air traffic growth has not disappeared. People need to see each other even if they are used to remote meetings," he says.
When Finavia’s EUR 1 billion investment program began, the number of passengers at Helsinki-Vantaa increased by more than 10 percent per year. In January of this year, the airport had 92 percent fewer passengers than a year ago.