(or how to be Finland)
Finland had Europe's lowest average of infections and deaths per capita in recent months, Johns Hopkins data shows. It managed to contain local outbreaks while sticking to some of the most relaxed restrictions on the continent. Internal movement was not restricted, those who needed to could attend school and workplaces in person, and mask-wearing was not mandatory.
"There is nothing magical about doing this — we just have a pragmatic approach," said Pekka Nuorti, an epidemiology professor at Tampere University who has worked for public health agencies for more than 25 years.
Cultural, political and geographic factors — such as low population density, less travel and high trust in government — were helpful, Nuorti said, but it was the work of the country's health agencies that made a difference.
During the summer, Finland built up "tried-and-true field epidemiology practices," Nuorti said: Testing, isolating, contact tracing, quarantining and preventing superspreading events on a local level.
The average daily testing volume nearly quadrupled from 2,900 samples in May to 11,300 in August, health ministry data shows. In late November, Finnish laboratories performed up to 23,000 tests a day, or 90% of the current capacity.
Finland used the summer to prepare for the new wave by responding with preventative measures instead of a lockdown. Restricting international travel for most of the summer added to Finland's success in the fall.
To help people isolate and stay home, the government provided economic support. Thousands of people who were exposed could quarantine because the government offered compensation for their lost income.
"It's not that we haven't had outbreaks," Nuorti said. Finland had local flare-ups and super spreader events, but local health authorities, coordinated by the central government, were able to contain them using real-time data, he said. But as case numbers rise, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify all transmission sources,
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