The regional COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup of South Karelia stated at its meeting on 10 December 2020 that the epidemic is still in the acceleration phase in South Karelia. The three stages of an epidemic are the baseline, acceleration, and spreading phases.
The restriction issued by the Regional State Administrative Agency, based on which gatherings must be limited to 20 people and which is applied to all indoor and outdoor events, including leisure time activities, is still valid. The regional situation assessment workgroup previously issued a restriction that limits private gatherings to 10 people.
The situation assessment workgroup hopes that the residents will follow the instructions provided on the prevention of the coronavirus epidemic carefully in South Karelia.
– Recommendations of the acceleration phase have been received well in South Karelia, and local residents have adopted the meaning of the recommendations commendably. Let’s do our best and work together to stop the second wave of the epidemic in South Karelia at this acceleration phase, says the Chair of the regional situation assessment workgroup Tuula Karhula.
– It is hoped that private entrepreneurs observe the restrictions on the use of premises and the valid recommendations in their operations, as local municipal operators have already done, says Karhula.
The workgroup reminds the residents once more of voluntary quarantine in South Karelia. People with a double nationality or a residence permit, for example, can travel between Finland and Russia at border-crossing points intended for passenger traffic.
– When a national border is crossed, the person must always stay in voluntary quarantine. The duration of the quarantine can be shortened by taking a coronavirus test, says Karhula.
If the person has a certificate of a negative coronavirus test that is less than 72 hours old at the time of arrival in Finland, a new coronavirus test can be taken 72 hours after arrival in Finland, at the earliest. If the result of the second test is negative, the person can discontinue their voluntary quarantine.
If the person does not have a certificate of a negative coronavirus test that is less than 72 hours old at their time of arrival in Finland, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) recommends that the person stays in voluntary quarantine, regardless of the length of their stay in Finland. In this case, the duration of the quarantine can be shortened by taking a coronavirus test after arrival in Finland. The second test can be taken 75 hours after the first test, at the earliest. If the result of both tests is negative, the person can discontinue their voluntary quarantine.
When waiting for the test results, the person must stay in voluntary quarantine either at home or in their place of accommodation.
One fourth of the Covid-19 cases that were confirmed in South Karelia in the past week can be traced to the workplace. The situation assessment workgroup rules that a shift must be made to remote working at all workplaces where this can be done, even temporarily.
It is recommended that all employers in South Karelia organise remote working in all work tasks that can be completed remotely, even temporarily. If remote working is not an option, it is recommended that the employer advices the employees to use a face mask in all work premises, even when safe distances can be maintained. Meals and coffee breaks must be staggered. Work and business trips and contact teaching events are not recommended.
Employers should also pay attention to the loneliness experienced by the employees, regardless of whether they work remotely or at the office. As the epidemic has broken working communities, the management has a great responsibility for the wellbeing of their subordinates.
– Communality can be generated at the workplace, also through virtual tools. Attention should be paid to remote leadership to ensure that mutual trust is maintained between the employers and the employees, reminds the Head of the Unit Jyrki Pitkänen from the ELY Centre for Southeast Finland.
– Various remote café breaks and other previously shared moments can be integrated with remote working, says Development Manager of the City of Lappeenranta’s Welfare Services Sanna Natunen.
The use of a face mask has increased as instructed, and the regional situation assessment workgroup wants to thank the residents of South Karelia for this. Other recommendations have also been complied with well in the area. It is recommended that a mask be worn always when other people are met in a confined space, such as when bringing or collecting a child from daycare.
As the use of masks has increased, so has the number of used masks. Masks must be disposed of in a bin and hands must be sanitized after their disposal.
Local companies, associations, and other operators are requested to pay attention to the sufficiency of bins, especially by entrances.
– The wind can easily catch a mask that has been placed on top of a bin and it is not tempting to push a used mask deeper into a bin with clean hands. Parties maintaining bins must also ensure that the bins are emptied sufficiently regularly and also pay attention to good hand hygiene in doing so, says Eksote’s Head of Safety and Preparedness Kristiina Kapulainen.
Tuula Karhula, Chair of the situation assessment workgroup, Director of the Health and Elderly Services, Eksote, tel. +358 40 194 4936, [email protected]
Kristiina Kapulainen, Secretary of the situation assessment workgroup, Head of Safety and Preparedness, Eksote, tel. +358 40 651 1791, [email protected]
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