Finland's three-point plan helps to beat coronavirus

After Greece broke the coronavirus chain in Europe, another European country has joined the list - Finland.

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The coronavirus death toll in Finland is even lower than Greece with just 64 deaths. Its total number of COVID-19 cases is a little over three thousand compared to the rest of the European countries where most of the fatalities going up to thousands.

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Finland's secret is all about preparedness. The world's happiest country has not let the Wuhan virus scar its smile. While Finland's neighbors are scrambling to bury the dead. Helsinki has capped its coronavirus fatalities at 64.

Finland has banked on three "s" - stockpile, swift action and staying with the times.

A country of just 5.5 million, experts call Finland the prepper nation of the Nordics. A country that's always prepared for a catastrophe because Finland has an enviable stockpile.

Surgical masks, protective equipment, medical supplies - Finland has got it all. Its agricultural coffers are filled too.

Oil, grains and raw materials - the country has it stacked. Although the details of its stockpile are not out in the open. No one knows how many masks the country has or where they are stored.

When the coronavirus hit Finland, it leaned on it stockpile, that too for the first time in 75 years - that is after World War-II. The masks were old but they were functioning.

What also worked for the Nordic country was swift action. Finland closed its schools and colleges as early as the second week of March. It also banned public gatherings and imposed a travel restriction.

The Finland model of staying with the times also helped. The government of Sanna Marin focused on staying with the times.

It roped in 1,500 social media influencers and they were tasked with sharing coronavirus information. The government also educated the masses on social media dos and donts. Fake news, panic posts etc being classified under the latter.

Finland sent the right message. The United Nations has highlighted another factor - trust. it said that the Finnish community trust each other and its institutions.

It makes the country resilient in the face of a catastrophe. Experts say trust can help a country bounce back from an emergency. The pandemic has doubled up as a litmus test. The result?

Finland is already easing coronavirus-related restrictions. Finland is lifting roadblocks in and around its capital Helsinki.

By May 13, the country plans to open its schools and public places. While the world's richest countries scramble for supplies, Finland says its public healthcare system has enough resources to treat all patients across the country.