Finland urges caution for Baltic travellers due to worsening Covid situation

Autumn holiday travellers should think twice before booking a trip to the Baltics, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) warns.

Case numbers have been rising in the area exponentially; the incidence rate in Estonia alone has shot up to 1,200 cases a day.

Viking Line’s communications director Johanna Boijer-Svahnström said that the ferry company is yet to see a noticeable surge in cancellations, but at the same time added that bookings to and from Estonia have recovered the slowest of the company’s various travel routes.

“Cancellations can be carried out according to our regular cancellation policies, so there are no special policies. It just depends on the trip destination and time as well as how early in advance the cancellation or changes are made,” the communications director said of customers’ ability to alter bookings in light of the deteriorating situation.

Latvia’s sharp rise in infections also saw the country re-declaring a three-month state of national emergency.

THL said that an already burdened healthcare system operating at the limits of its capacity could potentially mean trouble for tourists in case they need to seek medical care.

Fully vaccinated people can, however, travel with relative peace of mind while following safety precautions such as good hand hygiene and avoiding crowded places, THL professor Hannu Kiviranta said.

The professor added that travellers that have not received the vaccine should wear a mask as much as possible and be more cautious overall when travelling.

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