Ads were introduced focused on self-monitoring for at-risk groups, practicing hygiene (especially hand washing), and avoiding crowds (or wearing masks if not possible).
While residents returning from high-risk countries were encouraged to self-quarantine, travel restrictions were not announced until 5 March, when four countries were designated as "disease-infected zones".
The government has been criticized for its slow response to the crisis. In early February, in response to concerns over hoarding and price increase of face masks, the government issued price controls. The move failed to prevent shortages among hospitals, and became a scandal. Criticism was also for the slow response to end foreign travel.
On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019.
Unlike SARS of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
The first case of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Finland was confirmed on 29 January 2020, when a Chinese tourist visiting Ivalo from Wuhan tested positive for the virus.
On 31 December 2019, the Health Commission of Wuhan, Hubei, China, informed the WHO about a large number of acute pneumonia cases with unknown origin in its province. On 9 January 2020, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) reported the identification of the SARS-CoV-2 as the cause.
On 27 January, following the developments of COVID-19 outbreak in mainland China, Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Hubei province. The following day, Finnair announced it would be ending its five weekly routes to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March.
On 30 January, Finland's health officials said that up to 24 Finnish people may have the virus.
On 16 March, the President of Finland, declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19. 272 laboratory-confirmed cases caused by COVID-19 had been diagnosed in Finland by 16 March 2020 at 2 pm.
COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic reached Ireland on 29 February 2020, and within three weeks had spread to all counties.
On 12 March 2020, the government shut all schools, colleges, childcare facilities and cultural institutions. St Patrick's Day festivals and events were cancelled. Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar addressed the nation that night. On 24 March, almost all businesses, venues, facilities and amenities were shut; but gatherings of up to four were allowed.
Three days later, the government banned all "non-essential" travel. People were made to keep apart in public.
The lockdown has caused a recession and a rise in unemployment, with a longer lockdown forecast to cause greater damage.
By mid-April 2020, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) reported that the growth rate of the pandemic had been "as low as it needs to be", that the curve had flattened and that there would be no peak coming.
By 14 May 2021, the Department of Health had confirmed 254,870 cases and 4,941 deaths; a rate of 51,124 cases per million and 991 deaths per million population.
More than 90% of those that have died were aged over 65, and most also had underlying illnesses or lived in care homes.
Flatten the curve
Flattening the curve is a public health strategy to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The curve being flattened is the epidemic curve, a representation of the number of infected people needing health care over time.
During an epidemic, a health care system can break down when the number of people infected passes the health care system's ability to take care of them.
Flattening the curve means slowing the spread of the epidemic so that the peak number of people requiring care at a time is reduced, and the health care system does not pass its capacity.
Flattening the curve relies on techniques such as quarantine, stay at home orders, and social distancing.
COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
The first cases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay were reported on 13 March by the Ministry of Public Health.
As of March 2020 there is an ongoing outbreak in Uruguay, with the first few cases imported from Italy and Spain.
The majority of early cases were caused by a wedding with 500 people in Montevideo. It was attended by a Uruguayan returning from Spain who later tested positive.
On 14 March, it was announced that the two patients who took the bus ride on 8 March caused some 200 contacts, who were seen as suspected cases with home quarantine recommended.
On 16 March, the government issued an order to close all border crossings except Carrasco International Airport. The border with Argentina was closed effective 17 March at midnight.
President Luis Lacalle Pou said that the idea of closing the border with Brazil was "a little more complex", because it is a dry land border, and many people living near the border. Lacalle Pou advised people over 65 to stay at home.
Flights from the United States were suspended effective 18 March, and from Europe effective 20 March at midnight (00:00), at which point the airport was to close.
The government recommended working from home and not traveling. To free up hospital beds, surgeries were rescheduled.
Temperature checks were introduced in prisons and activities for prisoners restricted.
COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Paraguay on 7 March 2020 in a 32 year-old man from Guayaquil, Ecuador, living in San Lorenzo, Central department.
On 10 March 2020, the Paraguayan government suspended classes and all activities that involve groups of people, as well as public and private events, for 15 days. Other measures include partial closure of borders, restricting entry of foreigners, and curfews.
On 20 March 2020, the first death and the first case of community transmission were confirmed. The government declared a total quarantine until 3 May, with free movement restricted completely. Public movement is restricted to buying food, medicine and other essential items.
On 4 May, the country began to “smart quarantine”, which is the slow return to work and social activities with social distancing and hygiene measures.
COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
The COVID-19 pandemic was reported to have spread to Peru on 6 March 2020 when a 25-year-old man who had travelled to Spain, France and the Czech Republic tested positive.
On 15 March 2020, President Martín Vizcarra announced a country-wide lockdown, closing borders, slowing down domestic travel, and ending nonessential business, except health facilities, food vendors, pharmacies, and financial institutions.
Peru, with a total population of 32 million, has a total of 500 intensive care unit (ICU) beds available as of April 2020, and is working on expanding its nation-wide ventilator system from 40 to 540 machines within the coming months.
The engineering and production is supplied by the Peruvian military.
COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
The COVID-19 pandemic saw its first three confirmed cases in the Czech Republic on 1 March 2020.
On 12 March, the government declared a state of emergency, for the first time in the country's modern history for the area of the entire country. On 16 March, the country closed its borders and issued a nationwide curfew.
While originally planned until 24 March, the measures were later extended until 1 April and then again until the end of State of Emergency which was extended by the Chamber of Deputies until 30 April 2020 and then again until 17 May 2020.