Finland sends material assistance to help Latvia fight COVID-19 epidemic

Finland will send six ventilators to Latvia to help the country fight the COVID-19 epidemic. The material assistance will be delivered through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

The Latvian authorities have requested material assistance from the EU countries due to the rapidly deteriorating COVID-19 situation. Finland has offered Latvia six ventilators, and Latvia announced today that it will accept the offer.

The ventilators will be delivered through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as part of the European Union’s joint assistance mission. The Emergency Response Coordination Centre is coordinating the pooling of assistance and supports Member States in the arrangement of logistics and in transport costs.

The Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the National Emergency Supply Agency are cooperating in providing the assistance. The Ministry of the Interior decides on and coordinates Finland’s activities within the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and finances the purchase of materials. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health decides on the use of the medical devices stored by the National Emergency Supply Agency and on the procurement of emergency stockpiles of healthcare supplies required during COVID-19. The National Emergency Supply Agency maintains state emergency stockpiles, is responsible for the related planning and cooperates with various actors in matters related to emergency stockpiling.

Inquiries:
Pekka Tiainen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 50 456 4477, pekka.tiainen@govsec.fi

Jaakko Pekki, Director, National Emergency Supply Agency, tel. +358 29 505 1015, jaakko.pekki@nesa.fi

Pekka Tulokas, Director for Preparedness, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 202, pekka.tulokas@gov.fi