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Der Spiegel: Finland best at handling pandemic

The index is based on excess mortality, restrictions on people's lives and liberty, GDP performance and vaccination coverage.

Ihmiset istuvat odottamassa rokotusvuoroaan Tampereen messu- ja urheilukeskuksen rokotuspisteessä
More than 3/4 of adults in Finland have received a vaccine jab. People awaited shots last week at the Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre. Image: Marjut Suomi / Yle
Yle News

According to Germany's largest news site, Finland has shown the best results in dealing with Covid-19.

Der Spiegel compared a palette of factors for its index, published on Thursday under the headline "Where the Fight against the Pandemic Succeeds". The newsmagazine weighed Covid-related data from 154 countries with populations over five million.

According to its analysis, Finland (1.75 points) and Luxemburg (2 points) have been most successful in coping with the pandemic. Denmark and Norway (2.05 points) were tied for third place, followed by Taiwan and Singapore.

The only other Nordic country in the comparison, Sweden, ranked 20th (2.68 points), tied with Germany and the Netherlands.

The index is based on four criteria: excess mortality, restrictions on people's lives and freedoms, GDP performance compared to pre-pandemic projections and first-dose vaccination coverage.

Because not all countries report deaths accurately, excess mortality rates were used in the comparison to show deaths above the long-term average.

Finland has reported 976 Covid-related deaths since March 2020, most recently last Wednesday. Neighbouring Sweden, with a population nearly twice as large, has reported 14,643 deaths.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Finland has one of the EU's highest uptakes of the first dose of vaccine, covering more than three quarters of adults age 18 and over.

The Netherlands and Malta have attained nearly 80 percent. As of Friday, the EU average was 63.8 percent.

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