Finnish think-tank calls for "night watchman" epidemic planning

EVA, an influential Finnish business and policy forum, on Friday published an analysis calling for a major upgrade in the national ability to combat epidemics like COVID-19.

Specific medical teams should be pre-assigned for epidemics and would have to rehearse their duties, advised EVA in a statement.

Professor Paul Lillrank of Aalto University, who led the work for the EVA analysis, said that COVID-19 has "taught us that we need a new kind of national defense" to combat new threats.

He defined the envisaged division of duties as a modern version of the "night watchman state."

Referring to the estimated cost and indirect losses caused by the current COVID-19 crisis in Finland, EVA concludes that Finland would not be able to spend another 20 billion euros again.

Local media has noted that Finland cut back its preparedness for epidemics drastically during the past decade, as hundreds of specialist jobs in the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and its predecessors were dropped.

As of Friday afternoon, Finland has confirmed 4,395 cases of COVID-19. The death toll has risen to 177, according to THL.