Helsinki Day Helsingin sanomat newspaper asks the question: Is society divided into the worlds of the vaccinated and the unvaccinated?
As the newspaper points out, despite previous forecasts, the coronavirus vaccination coverage of the population over 12 years of age had not yet exceeded 80 percent by Monday. While the target is likely to be met in the coming days, it is clear that enthusiasm for vaccination has declined.
At the same time, HS points out that the number of hospitalizations for Covid is rising towards a new pandemic record. The growing need for hospitalization is partly explained by the large number of cases that have not been vaccinated against the virus.
Vaccination was believed to crush the pandemic, but now Finnish experts estimate that the strain on hospitals will continue for years to come. The problem also seems to be that many people for one reason or another do not want to take the vaccine.
Helsingin Sanomat wonders whether we will find ourselves in a world where compulsory vaccination is required in some areas, strict Covid "passport" implementing or even imposing restrictions on non-vaccinators.
Mika SalminenThe director of health security at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) stressed to the newspaper that he hoped that society would not be polarized.
"We know that coercion will not solve the problem of slowing down vaccinations, but may even lead to a deterioration in attitudes." said Salminen.
"Carrots are always a better option. The starting point must be to share and understand the right information," he added.
The coronavirus has come to stay, Salminen continued to point out, and it is also inevitable that the situation will place an additional burden on health care for several more years to come.
For this reason, he stressed that there should be a public debate on the continuity of health care resources and labor shortages in the sector. This applies not only to Finland, but also to the rest of Europe.
Pet Register
Evening paper Ilta-Sanomat tells about it that the government plans to make microchip and registration mandatory for all cats and dogs in the coming years.
The plan is included in the government’s proposal for a new Animal Welfare Act, which was distributed for review last week.
So far, chipping or registering dogs or cats has not been mandatory. Registration of pets with the Kennel Club and Cat Association has been a prerequisite for participating in competitions or shows.
The Kennel Club has been demanding applications for a long time. According to the Kennel Club Harri Lehkonen more than 70 percent of the Finnish dog population is registered.
The registration of purebred kittens with the Cat Association requires a microchip, and it is also possible to register domestic cats in the microchip register.
Animal welfare organizations see microchip and registration as a partial solution "cat crisis". According to the Finnish Association for Animal Welfare (SEY), at least 20,000 cats are abandoned in Finland every year. It is hoped that microchips for all cats will significantly reduce this amount.
The new Animal Welfare Act will enter into force at the beginning of 2023. Microchip and registration for all dogs will be required from the beginning of the same year and for cats from 2026 onwards.
Nazi name error
The Swedish-language daily Hufvudstadsbladet take what it describes as a "blunder" On the part of the officials of the National Board of Patents and Registration.
On May 27, the office granted the company permission to call itself "Oy Arbeit Macht Frei Ltd".
"Arbeit Macht Frei" is a German phrase that means "Work frees you", the Nazi slogan best known at the entrance to the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The National Board of Patents and Registration has now reported that the name was incorrectly approved and apologized for the error.
"We are sorry. The administrator in question did not speak German and did not remember that the expression was inappropriate," the agency wrote on Twitter.
That company still uses the name. The National Board of Patents and Registration now intends to have it overturned by the Supreme Administrative Court.
Snow, rain and slippery roads
After the start of the winter week, the weather in much of the country is expected to warm again from Tuesday. However, the cold is forecast to return by the weekend, according to Helsinki Evening paper.
Snow is expected on Tuesday in the western and central parts, turning to rain late in the day as well as possible storm-level gusts of wind.
The warning about dangerous driving conditions is nationwide, with the exception of the southern coastal areas. Roads are likely to be slippery, especially in the central and northern parts, as temperatures begin to rise.