Restrictions likely as coronavirus situation worsens in Helsinki

The epidemic situation has worsened considerably in recent weeks in the Helsinki metropolitan area, where the number of coronavirus infections has increased rapidly.

The Metropolitan Area coronavirus coordination group on Tuesday determined that the region has returned to the community transmission phase, said the City of Helsinki in a press release on Wednesday.

The need for hospital care is rising slightly in the region, placing a larger burden on social and healthcare services. The increased need for coronavirus guidance, testing and contact tracing has largely accounted for this heavier workload.

Situations with a lot of social interaction, in which participants have been unable to maintain safe distances, have played a significant role in the spread of virus. Infections chains have been identified at nightclubs, restaurants, bars and large public events.

Finland’s government and regional government agencies are invested with the authority to respond to the changed epidemic situation. The government is expected to assess the need for changes to restaurant restrictions accordingly.

No changes will be made at this stage to recommendations and restrictions on the use of the metropolitan area’s indoor public spaces and the organisation of leisure activities on municipal premises.

The coordination group wishes to emphasize that recommendations and restrictions associated with the epidemic should be in proportion and targeted to those situations in which infections have been acquired.

The appropriateness of the restrictive measures and the balance between benefit and risk must be considered as a whole, in light of the epidemiological situation and the risk assessment. It is particularly important to ensure that the wellbeing of children and young people is prioritised in practice as well as principle.

Metropolitan area schools will begin instruction this autumn in the classroom. This decision applies to both comprehensive schools (grades1-9) and upper secondary education facilities (grades 10-12) in the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo.

Health safety measures will be strictly observed in the provision of contact teaching, utilising best practices learned in the spring.

Over the course of the last academic year, students of upper secondary education in the metropolitan area were required to study from home more than the rest of the country.

The negative effects of distance learning tend to accumulate most for students who are already vulnerable. Tight student restrictions have a strong influence on their study performance and general wellbeing.

The Metropolitan Area coronavirus coordination group is continuously monitoring the epidemic situation. If necessary, the group is prepared to re-evaluate its decisions as the situation changes.