The regional COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup of South Karelia stated at its meeting on 13 April 2021 that the epidemic is in the spreading phase in South Karelia. The three stages of an epidemic are the baseline, acceleration, and spreading phases.
The valid decisions of the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI) concerning the Communicable Diseases Act:
On 25 February 2021, the regional COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup issued a restriction, based on which private gatherings must be limited to six (6) people. The workgroup also stated that institutions must shift to only using remote conferencing. All gatherings and close contacts outside the home must be avoided where possible. The decision will also be valid from 1 April to 30 April 2021.
Sections 58(d) and 58(g) of the Communicable Diseases Act, which will be valid for a fixed period, were amended on 31 March 2021. These sections are now also applied to premises that are normally used by less than 10 (indoor premises) or less than 50 (outdoor premises) people. The mention in section 58(g) stating that statutory medical rehabilitation must be secured has frequently raised questions. Statutory medical rehabilitation services are specified in detail at: https://stm.fi/laakinnallinen-kuntoutus
The number of new COVID-19 cases has taken a downward turn in South Karelia. This is believed to be due to the fact that people have complied with the recommendations and restrictions carefully in the area.
– I thank all local residents for their dutifulness. Statistics show that people have complied with the instructions carefully in the area. If we continue to follow recommendations equally carefully in the future, we will be able to maintain the downward trend and start to gradually remove the restrictions and recommendations, says the chair of the situation assessment workgroup Tuula Karhula.
Recommendations and restrictions are provided both regionally and nationally, with the aim that South Karelia and the rest of Finland will come out of the COVID-19 crisis with minimum damage.
– These various measures aim to protect the health of the entire population. When the number of new COVID-19 cases is high, there is a risk that not everyone will receive the care they need. However, decisions on the recommendations are not made solely from the public health perspective, but the entire situation is always assessed. We must consider the epidemic situation against its impacts on the economy and the wellbeing of the population, for example, says Karhula.
The common factor of all restrictions and recommendations is that they aim to reduce contacts between people.
– Restricting physical contact is the best way to reduce the number of new COVID-19 cases and the spread of the disease. The definition of close contact that was in use a year ago does not apply to the British variant of the coronavirus, which is currently dominant in Finland and also in South Karelia. This virus variant does not necessarily require a 15-minute exposure, for which reason it is important to maintain at least a two metre safe distance to all people outside your immediate family and friends, as well as to wear a surgical mask.
The symptoms of the coronavirus disease and a seasonal pollen allergy can be very similar. It is recommended that people start taking allergy medication in good time this spring. According to an interview given by HUS’s Chief Infectious Diseases Physician Asko Järvinen to MTV News, people suffering from allergies have a higher risk of catching the coronavirus disease, because allergies increase the risk of infections in general. People suffering from allergies must have themselves tested for coronavirus with a low threshold.
If you or your child, regardless of their age, develop new or untypical symptoms that are characteristic of an infection, you must stay home and book a coronavirus test. Also remember that, sometimes, people with a COVID-19 infection have no or very minor symptoms.
You must not go to daycare, school, work, or e.g. a store or a pharmacy; instead, stay home until your symptoms have disappeared, even if you have taken a coronavirus test.
If your or your child’s symptoms are typical, occur every year, and do not develop, or are clearly relieved after taking allergy medication, there is no reason to be repeatedly tested for coronavirus.
You can go to daycare, school, or work, for example, if your symptoms are caused by an allergy.
Source and further information (in Finnish): https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/miten-erottaa-allergia-koronasta-infektioylilaakari-antaa-helpon-nyrkkisaannon-silloin-kannattaa-hakeutua-testiin/8103484
The extensive mask recommendation is valid in the Eksote area in accordance with THL’s instructions. In South Karelia, the mask recommendation applies to all persons who are over 12 years of age. In addition, a mask recommendation has been given to school transportation of children and young persons who are over 12 years of age. Schools can also recommend, based on their own decision, that children under 12 years of age wear a mask in grades 1–6, if masks are considered to be necessary in the school due to the epidemic situation. Children can also wear a mask based on an assessment of their guardian, if the child wants to wear one and is capable of doing so safely.
– This is a recommendation, which should be borne in mind. Therefore, children under 12 years of age should not be pressured to wear a mask by the school. In the case of small children, it must always be determined separately, if the child is able to use the mask independently in a hygienic manner. The child must know how to put the mask on and take it off in a manner that does not increase the risk of an infection due to an inappropriate use of the mask. If the mask or the face is touched unnecessarily, there is a risk that viruses will spread via the hands. Children should be encouraged to maintain a safe distance to others and to continue providing instructions on careful hand washing also at home, says Karhula.
There is no national mask recommendation for children under 12 years of age. THL’s mask recommendation applies to people who are 12 years of age or older.
A face mask is one means to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In addition to the mask, it is vital to maintain a safe distance, whenever possible, and to keep on washing hands, coughing in your sleeve or a single-use tissue, and to avoid touching the face. It is important not to go to the workplace or the school if you have symptoms; instead, avoid social contact and book a coronavirus test immediately.
Leisure activities of children and young people will be enabled gradually as permitted by the coronavirus situation. The need to keep in force section 58(g) of the Communicable Diseases Act will be assessed regularly. If the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decrease and the situation improves, restrictions will be removed in South Karelia starting on 19 April 2021 as follows:
In the national exit strategy, the aim is to restore the outdoor leisure activities of children and young people more extensively in May. The Regional State Administrative Agency will make decisions on the validity of section 58(g) of the Communicable Diseases Act based on the regional coronavirus situation.
Eksote: https://www.eksote.fi/Koronavirus/
City of Lappeenranta: https://www.lappeenranta.fi/fi/Kaupunki-tiedottaa/Koronavirustilanne
City of Imatra: https://www.imatra.fi/korona
Lemi: https://www.lemi.fi/ajankohtaista/koronatiedotteet.html
Luumäki: https://www.luumaki.fi/koronavirustilanne-tietoa-ohjeita-linkkeja
Parikkala: http://www.parikkala.fi/fi
Ruokolahti: https://www.ruokolahti.fi/suomeksi/Kuntatietoa/korona
Rautjärvi: http://www.rautjarvi.fi/fi
Savitaipale: https://www.savitaipale.fi/
Taipalsaari: https://taipalsaari.fi/fi/Koronavirustilanne
The following recommendations will be valid in South Karelia from 1 April 2021 to 30 April 2021, unless stated otherwise. The necessity of the recommendations is assessed weekly at the meetings of the situation assessment workgroup. The recommendations will be applied to the authorities, the general public, business operators, and education organisers. It is hoped that private operators will also follow the corresponding recommendations provided to the region.
Section 58(d) of the Communicable Diseases Act:
The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland obliges the operators within the Eksote area to ensure that close contact can be avoided in premises that are intended for customers and people participating in their activities. This regulation is based on the new section 58(d) of the Communicable Diseases Act and will remain valid from 1 April to 30 April 2021. More information in Finnish on AVI’s website: https://avi.fi/yleistiedoksiannot
Section 58(g) of the Communicable Diseases Act:
The decision, made based on section 58(g) of the Communicable Diseases Act concerning the closing of premises, will remain valid from 1 April to 23 April 2021 and is applied to the premises of both the public and private sectors. More information in Finnish on AVI’s website: https://avi.fi/yleistiedoksiannot
Private events:
Private events must have a maximum of six participants.
Public events and public meetings:
Events must have a maximum of six participants.
Mask recommendation:
The mask recommendation is valid in public transport, including school transport and taxi drivers and customers.
In other respects, the mask recommendation of the spreading phase is applied to all persons aged 12 and over, in accordance with THL’s instructions:
Customer service points must be equipped with plexiglass shields. Employers must provide masks or protective face shields for customer service workers who work less than 2 metres from other people.
Education organisers:
Contact teaching was restored gradually in secondary education and grades 7–9 of primary education in South Karelia starting on 12 April 2021. Education organisers will be responsible for distributing information on teaching arrangements.
Early education and the teaching of grades 1–6 of primary education will be continued as before.
The regional COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup recommends that the education services of the municipalities take the following additional measures into use in grades 1–6 until 30 April 2021:
The mask recommendation applies to all persons aged 12 or over, and to all school transportation.
A mask recommendation will be given to education organisers, also in school transportation. The education organiser must provide masks for children and young adults whose school transportation is their responsibility. Children and young adults who come to school by using public transport must acquire the masks themselves.
The Government recommends that all Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences shift to remote teaching, taking account of any contact teaching that is considered to be necessary.
At adult education centres, teaching will be disrupted to the extent that it cannot be organised remotely.
Public premises:
The situation assessment workgroup recommends that public premises be closed to the public.
It is recommended that museums and youth premises be closed. Where required, youth premises can be used for face-to-face meetings, and the operations of Ohjaamo centres can be continued for as long as a maximum of six persons are present in the premises at any one time.
As regards the libraries, they can continue lending and return activities in accordance with the restrictions; however, it is recommended that the operations of mobile libraries be disrupted. Events organised by libraries were already cancelled earlier when it was also recommended that their social premises, such as newspaper reading rooms, be closed.
The customers are requested to stay in the library premises only for the period of time that is necessary and to favour advance reservations. Wearing a mask in the library premises is strongly recommended.
Swimming pools and sport facilities can, based on the recommendation of the situation assessment workgroup, be used for implementing activities specified in the curriculum and group activities of children born in or after 2008, as well as by top class athletes.
Travelling:
Travelling between Finland and Russia must be avoided.
It is recommended that all travelling to areas that are in the spreading phase be avoided. Travelling in general must be avoided.
The Finnish Government recommends that unnecessary travelling be avoided, except for countries to which restrictions on entry are not applied. Information on quarantine matters, the latest travel notifications, and updated instructions related to travelling can be found on the following official websites:
THL: Travel and the coronavirus pandemic >> (in Finnish)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Latest travel notifications >> (in Finnish)
Voluntary quarantine
THL instructs: If you come to Finland from a country that is marked red or grey in the traffic light model, we recommend that you stay in voluntary quarantine for 14 days after your arrival in Finland. It is recommended that you stay at home and not go outside the home, e.g., to your workplace. This protects others from infection. Agree upon the practices to be followed at work for 14 days following your return to Finland with the employer.
It is recommended that children who are in voluntary quarantine do not participate in early childhood education. It is recommended that children who are in primary education stay at home. Please agree upon any special arrangements with the education organiser.
Suomi ulkomailla sivustot / Venäjä: https://finlandabroad.fi/web/rus/etusivu
Remote working:
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.
The recommendation for institutions to use remote conferencing took effect on 25 February 2021.
Group activities of children born in or after 2008:
Leisure activities of children and young people will be enabled gradually as permitted by the coronavirus situation. If the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decrease and the situation improves, restrictions will be removed in South Karelia starting on 19 April 2021, as stated in the bulletin dated 13 April 2021. The following recommendations are currently valid:
Leisure activities of children born in or after 2008 will be permitted in indoor and outdoor premises in groups that have a maximum of 10 participants. The number includes the instructor(s) of the group. It must be possible to organise the activities in accordance with previous instructions.
The situation assessment workgroup strongly recommends that all close contacts be avoided in these activities.
See below for more detailed instructions on the organisation of leisure activities.
Group activities for children and young people born between 2001 and 2007:
Leisure activities of children and young people will be enabled gradually as permitted by the coronavirus situation. If the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decrease and the situation improves, restrictions will be removed in South Karelia starting on 19 April 2021, as stated in the bulletin dated 13 April 2021. The following recommendations are currently valid:
All group activities organised for children and young people born between 2001 and 2007 in indoor and outdoor premises will otherwise remain discontinued until 23 April 2021.
In accordance with the above recommendations, the following specifying instructions are provided for the organisation of group leisure activities for children and young people born in and after 2008:
Activities must always be organised so that close contact with others can be avoided and a safe distance of over 2 metres can be maintained. The groups must not mix. The organiser of the leisure activities is responsible for ensuring that all instructions and recommendations are followed.
We emphasise that every operator and adult must follow the instructions of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and other authorities on hygiene and other arrangements that aim to prevent the spread of the virus. Adults are responsible for ensuring that children also follow the instructions.
The Ministry of Education and Culture and THL have instructed that if leisure activities are organised for children and young people in the spreading phase, it is very important that activities or training be organised within each individual group without competitions, concerts, performances, or other similar situations, where the group would come into contact with other activity groups.
The teachers, instructors, and trainers should also remain the same and parents/guardians must not be permitted into the activity, training premises or dressing rooms.
Further Information (in Finnish):
Lappeenranta: 4.3.2021 voimaan astuvat Lappeenrannan kaupungin liikuntatilojen ja -palvelujen koronaohjeistukset
Imatra: Imatran kaupungin liikuntatilat ja museot suljetaan 3.3. alkaen
THL:n ja OKM:n ohje lasten ja nuorten harrastustoiminnan (ml. taiteen perusopetus) järjestämisestä, rajoittamisesta ja keskeyttämisestä valtioneuvoston periaatepäätöksen 26.1.2021 mukaisilla epidemiatasoilla (2 February 2021) (pdf, minedu.fi)
Vinkkejä nuorten kanssa toimimiseen verkossa (verke.org)
THL:n ja OKM:n ohje koronavirustartuntojen ehkäisemisestä yleisötilaisuuksien ja yleisten kokoontumisten yhteydessä sekä julkisten tilojen käytössä (pdf, minedu.fi, updated on 11 February 2021)
Group leisure activities for adults
All group leisure activities aimed at persons born in or before 2008 must be disrupted. Rehabilitative activities can be continued, if they can be implemented whilst observing the safe distance of over 2 metres and in accordance with all other recommendations.
Matches and playing at the Finnish Championship and the first division levels (adults):
Recommendations and decisions are not applied to professional sports, which includes sport activities based on a series licence agreement or sports agreement of the Olympic committee, and the activities of national sports teams when there is no audience present. In practice, this means that professional sports is limited to top-level sport, which covers the two highest series in ballgames, national team activities of adults, and athletes selected through the selection system of the national sports associations, who are preparing for international top-level sports competitions. The decision also excludes youth world championship activities and the third highest national series of football and ice hockey, where the players are self-employed persons based on a written player agreement. In football, this means the men’s second series and in ice hockey, the men’s Suomi series.
If matches/games are played without an audience, they are not public events. This means that such matches are not forbidden based on the regulation of the Regional State Administrative Agency.
If there is an audience, the regulation of the Regional State Administrative Agency regarding the number of participants will apply. Matches and playing are permitted for Finnish Championship, first division, and U20 level teams of adults, if a South Karelian team is participating in the games and matches/tournaments.
Events:
The organisation of events is not recommended. Events of a maximum of six people can be organised if it is possible to comply with the instructions provided by THL and the Ministry of Education and Culture on safe distances and hygiene practices precisely and in all respects.
Further information for event organisers on the Regional State Administrative Agency’s website (in Finnish): https://avi.fi/usein-kysyttya-koronaviruksesta
The situation in the rest of Finland and the valid restrictions and recommendations of other hospital districts can be found at: https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/information-on-coronavirus/current-restrictions/hospital-districts. The page can also be accessed through the link found on the Eksote website at www.eksote.fi/koronavirus
The current stage of the epidemic in South Karelia is specified by the infectious disease authorities, together with the regional COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup. The South Karelian COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup includes representatives of the South Karelia Social and Health Care District, the municipalities, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Regional State Administrative Agency, and the local ELY Centre. In addition to the number of and the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the stage of the epidemic depends e.g. on the traceability of infection chains and whether the virus was acquired within or from outside the region. The epidemic situation can change rapidly locally or regionally, even when the national situation is stable. The local COVID-19 situation assessment workgroup meets once a week, unless more frequent meetings are required.
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]
(Sama tiedote suomeksi: https://www.epressi.com/tiedotteet/terveys/rajoitukset-painaneet-etela-karjalan-tartuntamaaria-laskuun-rajoitusten-purkamista-suunnitellaan-varovaisesti-ja-asteittain)
© Koodiviidakko Oy - Y-tunnus 1939962-1