The regional COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup of South Karelia met on 22 February 2022 and stated that the number of new COVID-19 cases has continued to increase in South Karelia and no signs of slowing down are visible – quite the opposite, in fact. The number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases is increasing every week.
In week 7, a total of around 4,250 coronavirus tests were taken. This is roughly 450 more than in week 6. Of all tests made, roughly 35 percent were positive. However, the actual number of cases is significantly higher, because only a small part of those infected takes an official PCR test at a testing point. The 14-day incidence rate is 2,126.6 as per one hundred thousand residents. The wastewater monitoring data supports the current stage of the epidemic, and the volume of the virus found in the samples taken at the Toikansuo wastewater treatment plant is still high.
Specialised hospital care is strained
─ No signs are yet visible of the slowing down of the epidemic. The intensive care unit of the central hospital has six beds and COVID-19 patients take up a major share of the intensive care capacity. The situation varies daily both in intensive care and specialised healthcare. The K4 unit of the hospital is especially crowded, and specialised healthcare is becoming strained, says chief infectious diseases physician Pekka Suomalainen.
─ In addition to COVID-19, norovirus has also been found in the region. The number of cases is expected to increase slightly during the spring.
─ The Omicron variant was first found in South Karelia around Christmas time. Since then, more and more cases have been diagnosed in the region every week and the spreading has not yet slowed down, nor has the peak been reached. New cases have been found in all municipalities within the region and in all age groups. Infections have also been found in care units and among the older population, says senior physician Sami Raasakka.
Vaccinations are still being administered without an appointment
The number of vaccinations administered in the region has decreased in recent weeks. A majority of the population has already received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and many have also caught the virus. Vaccinations are still being administered without an appointment at the IsoKristiina vaccination point in Lappeenranta and at the Tori Galleria vaccination point in Imatra. In addition, vaccinations will also be administered to all local residents aged 5 or older at the Armila healthcare centre on Sunday 27 February 2022 at 9:00–14:30.
The new COVID-19 vaccine will be available in Lappeenranta in March
The Nuvaxovid coronavirus vaccine developed by Novavax, a biotechnology company, is a protein adjuvant vaccine, i.e., it has been manufactured by using a more traditional technology than the currently used mRNA vaccines. The new vaccine contains a fragment of the spike protein, whilst mRNA vaccines contain the code for making the spike protein, which is then produced by the human cells. This vaccine can be used to vaccinate people who do not want to have themselves vaccinated with mRNA vaccines.
You can read more about the vaccine on THL’s website (in Finnish) and about the vaccinations in South Karelia on Eksote’s vaccination site (in Finnish).
After the winter holiday, the mask recommendation will apply to all persons aged 12 or older
The students of local schools and educational institutions will be on winter holiday in week 9, i.e., starting on 28 February 2022. After the winter holiday, the mask recommendation will apply to all persons aged 12 or older in public indoor premises, such as schools, public transport, and shopping centres.
The restrictions in South Karelia have been removed except for section 58(c) of the Communicable Diseases Act, which specifies hygiene instructions to be followed in public premises.
Based on section 58(c) of the Communicable Diseases Act, operators must ensure in their activities that:
The next meeting of the regional COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup will be held on Tuesday 8 March 2022.
Additional information for the media:
Tuula Karhula, chair of the situation assessment workgroup, tel. +358 40 194 4936, [email protected]
The South Karelian COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup includes representatives of the South Karelia Social and Health Care District, the municipalities, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Regional State Administrative Agency, and the local ELY Centre. In addition to the number of and the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the severity of the epidemic situation depends, e.g., on the traceability of infection chains and whether the virus was acquired within or from outside the region. The epidemic situation can change rapidly locally or regionally, even when the national situation is stable. The local COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup meets every other week, unless more frequent meetings are required.
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