State of emergency

Two timberjacks arrived before I left to work and the first spruce was already cut down. Two hours later five very tall spruces and two old silver birch trees were lying on the ground. 

Cutting down trees always makes me feel a bit sad. It takes tens of years for a tree to grow up, and only couple of minutes to cut it down. Six of the trees were between our garage and our neighbour's house, wide branched disturbed neighbours. Now we need to plant hedgerow. The spruce in the picture was in the middle of our garden, its roots threatened our well. Fortunately we still have many large trees left!

Today our Prime Minister Sanna Marin + cabinet declared state of emergency and outlined additional measures to prevent coronavirus spread. The government published a 19-point list of emergency legislation that takes effect on 18 March after approval by parliament on Tuesday.

Authorities have set in motion preparations to close the country’s borders. Passenger traffic to Finland is to be suspended as soon as possible, with the exception of returning Finnish citizens and residents. Similarly, the government said that Finnish citizens and residents should not travel abroad and said that individuals who are out of the country should return immediately.

Freight and shipping is to continue normally during this period, according to the government. Finns and legal residents returning from abroad will face a mandatory two-week quarantine.

Starting on Wednesday, schools will be shut until 13 April.

The country is also to ban gatherings of more than ten people and close museums, theatres, the national opera, libraries, mobile libraries, hobby facilities and swimming pools, youth clubs and other gathering points and recommended that third sector organisations and religious congregations do the same.

There were also a raft of measures affecting the public sector and healthcare providers, as the government prohibited visits to elderly care facilities for the time being.

Visits to hospitals and other health care facilities are to be restricted on a case-by-case basis for critically-ill relatives in a hospice or at maternity wards.


It was very quiet in the office, about 90% of employees on our floor seemed to be working remotely. I enjoyed the silence, but it may be wise to work from home. Hubby already moved his office to home.




+3°C, sunny