Finland’s PM Missed A COVID Isolation Text Because She Was Out Clubbing Until 4AM
The world's youngest PM was tearing up the dance floor on a Saturday night.
Finland’s Prime Minister has apologised for missing a COVID isolation message because she was out clubbing until 4am and left her work phone at home.
Sanna Marin hit the town on Saturday night in the southern capital of Helinski, after the Minister of Foreign Affairs tested positive for the virus. The 36-year-old was initially told by the Finnish Secretary of State that there was no need for the cabinet to quarantine because everyone was fully vaccinated.
Given the green light to proceed as normal, she celebrated Independence Day weekend with her husband: going out for dinner, shopping, socialising, and enjoying the city’s nightlife. However, later that night, a follow-up text was sent to Marin urging her to avoid contact with others and get tested — which she missed because she was living her best life and tearing it up on the dance floor until the early hours, according to fellow partygoers cited in a gossip mag.
The Prime Minister of Finland at 4am: pic.twitter.com/weSZFzLPkG
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) December 8, 2021
In a statement on Wednesday, Marin said she “should have used better judgement on Saturday night, and checked the instructions I received a second time”.
“I am really sorry that I did not understand this,” she said, confirming she got tested ASAP the next day and returned a negative result. However, she was not alone in her choices within the ministerial office — the Economics Affairs Minister attended a hockey match that same weekend, and the Defence Minister went to a dinner party that same night despite receiving the same advice as the PM.
Marin was the world’s youngest Prime Minister when she was elected back in 2019. In October, she slammed critics who challenged her active social life by posting some iconic Finnish lyrics on Instagram: “Hey boom-boom-boomer, put some ice in your hat and cool it”.
She chased that burn in an interview where she rightfully said she was a “representative of the younger generation, and yes, that’s reflected in the way I do my work and how I live.”
It’s probably also the reason why Finland has been considered the world’s happiest country for four consecutive years. Of course, if you get pinged as a close contact, please get tested and follow the rules.
Photo: Demarit/Flickr