Schools to run contact study amid worsening COVID situation

Classes at the schools will resume on Monday after Christmas vacation amid the worsening coronavirus situation in the country.

Although the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposed the government to re-introduce remote learning at the schools during the spring and minister Krista Kiuru strongly supported the proposal, the coronavirus ministerial working group late Friday night decided to continue the contact learning at the schools.

Minister of Social Affairs and Health Krista Kiuru, also Chair of the coronavirus ministerial working group at a press briefing after a meeting of the working group said that the decision was taken as per the recommendation of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

Earlier, the City of Helsinki and the City of Espoo informed the school authorities that classes at the schools will resume on Monday after the Christmas holiday as per the schedule.

The spring semester starts as contact teaching on Monday 10 January, said the City of Espoo in a press release on Friday.

Due to the coronavirus situation getting worse, everyone has to follow health and safety guidelines, said the press release, adding that a child or young person with even the mildest of symptoms remain at home until it is confirmed that they do not have a coronavirus infection.

All pupils from grade 3 and upwards are recommended to use face masks.

The working group, however, decided to extend the ongoing restrictive measures against the coronavirus until the end of January.

“New measures against coronavirus are needed. The existing restrictive measures will continue until end of January,” said Kiuru, adding that the government will instruct the regions to introduce the restrictions under the Communicable Diseases Act.