Govt bans gathering of more than 500 to contain coronavirus

The government on Thursday has recommended that all public events with more than 500 attendees be cancelled until the end of May.

The government took the decision and made a set of recommendations and preparedness measures following a discussion on the coronavirus outbreak in the country, said an official press release.

Organisers of other events are also advised to consider, based on their risk assessments, whether or not to organise similar events.

All major seminars and events organised by the state will be cancelled until the end of May.

The Government is preparing for the costs of the spread of the coronavirus through a supplementary budget.

It recommends that employees returning from areas affected by the epidemic make arrangements for returning to work after a period of absence (two weeks) together with their employer.

Employees are advised to work remotely, if their tasks can be carried out from home. It is also advisable to discontinue non-essential work-related travel and to postpone holiday travel.

Arrangements must be made for children, young people and students returning from areas affected by the epidemic to return to day care centres and education institutions after a period of absence (two weeks) together with the service provider or education provider.

To reduce the spread of infection, non-essential activities, such as close contact in recreational activities and other leisure time, must also be restricted.

This is particularly important for protecting those at risk. Members of the public must exercise special consideration and caution when dealing with at-risk groups. The at-risk groups include older people and people with underlying medical conditions.

As concerns coronavirus tests, the authority will adopt a normal practice in which tests will be taken based on a physician’s assessment and consultation with a specialist in infectious diseases.

This way, we can ensure that the tests are certainly available to all those who need them.

The Prime Minister will convene a parliamentary discussion on the measures to be taken to prepare for an epidemic.

Broader restrictive measures will require the adoption of preparedness legislation (including regional restrictive measures; closures of schools, day care centres and universities; restrictions on public sector activities; closures of large commercial centres; bans on passenger vessel travel and air travel; bans on events).

News Agency Xinhua adds: Prime Minister Sanna Marin at a press briefing also announced that a supplementary budget could be given at a short notice to alleviate the financial impact of the epidemic.

Minister for Social Affairs and Health Aino-Kaisa Pekonen estimated on Thursday that Finland would be now becoming part of the epidemic. "The epidemic can no longer be blocked, but its progress can be slowed down," she said.

Krista Kiuru, Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services, said that work to trace the person-to-person infection chains has still worked in Finland. "At this stage we still do all the protective and limitation measures that are feasible," she said.

Talking about the cessation of air travel between the Schengen area and the United States, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari said that the U.S. travel ban on mainland Europe "gives rise to speculation", considering the fact that the UK has been left outside the ban. He noted that it is clear that Britain is not "immune to the coronavirus".