Pitkäjärvi school to remain closed following coronavirus situation

The Pirkanmaa region health authority on Sunday decided not to resume the classes at Pitkäjärvi secondary school at Kangasala near Tampere this week as a move to contain coronavirus outbreak, reported National Broadcaster Yle.

The authority took the decision a staff of the school found infected by coronavirus, said the report, quoting Merja Lehtonen, head of the department of education in Kangasala.

The authority said that 90 out of the 500 students and staff had been exposed to the virus.

Jaana Syrjänen, a physician at Tampere University Hospital at a press conference said that work to contact exposed people was underway.

"I want to highlight that we don't have an epidemic. We're looking at isolated cases," said the Yle report quoting the physician as saying.

She, however, said, "the virus doesn't survive for long on surfaces and regular cleaning practices are enough [to kill it].