Helsinki – Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin will be working remotely from her official residence from Thursday, a precautionary measure taken due to possible exposure to the coronavirus, the government said.
The decision to self-isolate came after a new warning app – created by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, among others – alerted Marin of a potential exposure to the virus.
The app, launched a week ago, was downloaded over 1 million times the day after its release. A person who has tested positive for the virus can use the app to share this information anonymously with others they have been in close contact with, helping to stop infection chains.
The 34-year-old prime minister was “feeling fine” and did not show any symptoms, the government statement read.
Newly elected Centre Party leader Annika Saarikko, who is minister of science and culture, substituted for Marin at prime minister’s questions.
Last month, Marin briefly worked remotely after experiencing mild respiratory symptoms but a test for the virus came back negative.
In April, she also briefly self-isolated after an employee at her official residence was discovered to have been in contact with someone infected with the virus. Subsequent tests showed that neither Marin nor the employee had contracted the virus.
Finland has recorded 337 coronavirus-related deaths and about 8,400 infections as of Thursday. (dpa/NAN)