The Metropolitan Area coronavirus coordination group adheres to the national policy on remote work. Therefore, remote work is recommended to continue until 15 October 2021, after which the health-based remote work recommendation in the metropolitan area will expire. After that, workplaces in the region can move to their own independent practices.
National guidelines are still expected for the mask recommendation.
The group also drew attention to the fact that the circular of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on the renewed hybrid strategy states that the epidemic phases under the previous action plan should continue to be monitored in the regions. The metropolitan area’s coronavirus coordination group stresses that the criteria for the epidemic phases in the previous action plan are outdated and should be updated to be nationally consistent.
Safe entry to the country and municipal border operations
The cities of Helsinki and Vantaa and HUS have developed a spot check model for health security checks at the borders that complies with the current legal framework.
In the future, passengers arriving at the border crossing points of Helsinki and Vantaa, i.e. Helsinki-Vantaa airport and Helsinki harbours, will be allocated to different lines according to the type of COVID-19 certificate they are carrying.
For those who have had a full series of vaccinations and those who have had COVID-19 within the last six months, the COVID-19 certificates will be checked only by spot-checks, especially in congested areas. Scarce social and health care resources are directed towards people who present a negative coronavirus test certificate and people who arrive without any certificate at all. Those arriving from low-incidence countries will not be screened at all.
Coronavirus coordination group coordinates and prepares local decision-making
The Cities of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, and the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland established the Metropolitan Area coronavirus coordination group on 10 September 2020. In line with a regional operating model devised by Finland’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the group aims to strengthen the formation of a common situational assessment and to coordinate and prepare local and regional measures.
The group consists of top management from each member organisation and is responsible for the preparation and coordination of decision-making based on a shared assessment of the situation. Each member makes decisions independently, within its own sphere of authority. The group further intensifies the close metropolitan area collaboration that has continued throughout the coronavirus crisis.
The City of Helsinki is responsible for organising the group’s operations.
In addition to the Cities of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, the City of Kauniainen also follows the restrictions and recommendations of the coordination group.
Read more: Coronavirus updates from Helsinki
Kuva: Marja Väänänen