Hundreds exposed to coronavirus at student parties

A number of people became infected with coronavirus at student parties in different parts of the country, said the National Institute for Health and Welfare in a press release on Friday.

As many as several hundred people have participated in the events and those exposed to the coronavirus are placed in quarantine as a precaution.

“Event organisers should be extra-careful in advance about organising large events. If events are organised, it is necessary to maintain safe distancing and good hygiene,” said THL Chief Physician Taneli Puumalainen.

“Various celebrations may lead to the spread of the disease. Even if you have only mild symptoms, you should not take part in events or move around in public places,” said Puumalainen.

Earlier, the University of Tampere disclosed that more than 70 people were exposed to coronavirus after a chain of possible infections began following an unofficial student event, reported the national broadcaster Yle on Friday.

At least seven students experienced mild coronavirus symptoms and the mass exposure also affected the family members of students.

Tampere University Hospital’s Chief Physician Jaana Syrjänen told the Yle that the infections apparently originated from outside the university campus.

“The infections are probably related to a mass event where there were a lot of students. This did not happen on the university premises," the Yle report quoted Syrjänen as saying.

Earlier, similar incidents took place in Helsinki and Jyväskylä, and in both cases the infections were linked to students’ social events.

About 300 students are believed to have been exposed to coronavirus after attending a traditional student event at the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Medicine at the end of August, reported the Yle on Thursday quoting the news agency STT.

Meanwhile, health officials in Jyväskylä confirmed on Tuesday that 19 new coronavirus infections were diagnosed in the past 24 hours and that nearly 400 people had received quarantine orders, the Yle report added.