People back in Minnesota have been asking “what the COVID-19 situation is like”. After a few weeks on the ground, here are some (mainly anecdotal) comparisons. I tried to find data/sources where appropriate, but recognize this is an incomplete analysis.
| Minnesota | Finland | ||
| Size/Area | 5.6 million / 87,000 square miles | 5.5 million / 131,000 square miles | From Wikipedia |
| Current new cases (as of 1/19) | 922 LINK | 217 LINK | Minnesota numbers are decreasing from a second wave LINK. Finland numbers have been hovering around that point for several months. |
| Total vaccinated (as of 1/19) | 200,000 LINK | 56,000 LINK | Approximate values – I believe Finland has just administered one dose. |
| Mask wearing | Statewide mask mandate | Region dependent? In any case, wearing a mask in public is highly encouraged. | Finland seems to use more disposable masks more* |
| Everyday life | Shops open, restaurants to half capacity | Shops and restaurants open | |
| Schools / Universities | Elementary moving to in person. LINK / Universities are mainly online. | In person / Universities are all online. |
*For example, we received a general message from their school that high school students in Kuopio will be required to wear a mask. The school would provide students with disposable masks that they needed to monitor to make sure they had enough for each school day, assuming they use 2-3 per day.
From what we have seen there is more of an acceptance of the public health measures here – as I was told once “Finns do what we are told.” As a country, I think Finland buckled down early and kept numbers low. Overall there is concern about the new COVID variants – but the recommendations to the epidemic varies by region. (Kuopio was recently classified in the accelerating phase).
Not speaking Finnish, and getting a limited (in other words, translated) view on Finnish news I can’t speak to what public attitudes really are on the epidemic – if they are as divided as they are in Minnesota. Each store here has sanitizing stations as you enter, and people line up to use them. A lot of the work has moved online (or people find clever ways to network outside). Finns that I know are taking it seriously by rearranging meetings to online or if eating in a restaurant picking a time where it isn’t as busy.
I appreciate the concern in Finland that daily new cases have increased 20 fold (from single digits in the summer to 200-300 new cases). It can’t help but wonder how Minnesota would celebrate these numbers (and we were at a scarier place in December 2020). On the same hand, there are lessons to be learned from Finland in the acceptance of what needs to be done for public health, and to channel some Finnish sisu to work together to get through this.
