*Image Credit: HelsinkiAirport
Finland will lift all travel restrictions for 17 European countries from July 13.
The countries whose residents will be able to travel freely to Finland without the need to observe quarantine from next week are Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Cyprus, Ireland, Andorra, San Marino and the State of Vatican City.
Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo said that in these countries the daily infection rate did not exceed eight new cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the previous two weeks.
This is on top of countries whose residents are already able to travel to Finland unrestricted, such as Norway, Denmark, Estonia, and Iceland.
In addition, work-related and other essential travels will be allowed to and from China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and South Korea.
However, limitations on travel to and from Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania, Monaco, Poland and the Czech Republic, still remain in place.
At the time of writing:
Every two weeks, Greece will renew the list of countries whose permanent residents will be allowed entry, based on EU guidelines. Currently the countries are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China will be reviewed for reciprocity. Finland is not on the current list.