Finland national and regional recommendations to prevent spread of COVID-19 epidemic
National recommendation to work remotely
Due to the widespread increase in COVID-19 cases nationwide, the Government recommends that employees in the public sector work remotely as extensively as possible if their duties so allow. The national recommendation on remote work will remain in force until further notice. The validity of the recommendation will be reassessed by 31 December 2020.
The Government also recommends that private sector employers adopt similar extensive remote work practices. Employers are responsible for assessing how best to coordinate remote and on-site work at their workplaces. Employers should also promote work arrangements that reduce close contacts and other risk factors for employees. The Government’s policies and recommendations on remote working are not legally binding on employers.
The Government’s regional recommendations are divided into three categories based on the development of the epidemic. The Government will adopt a resolution on the recommendations at its plenary session next week.
The new updated strategy gives more power to the local and regional authorities to decide about the necessary actions to reduce the spread of corona virus.
Proposal about quarantine and Corona test
The Parliament’s Constitutional Law Committee rejected Governments current decision about the corona test guidelines. Finland introduced new travel-related health security measures in early October. On 15 October, Constitutional Law Committee said the proposed changes of the instructions regarding the corona test in the travellers country of origin need to be finalized again or modified. According to the Governments latest decision, travellers can shorten their self-isolation period at their discretion if they take two voluntary COVID-19 tests. The travellers need to have a corona negative test result no less than three days before travelling to Finland. If a traveller is staying in Finland for less than 72 hours, they do not need to self-isolate or take a second test. A 10-day period of self-isolation is recommended for travellers arriving in Finland from a higher incidence country.
New Decision about corona test is not decided yet
Meanwhile, the new decision about the travel restrictions are still under consideration. Earlier, the government ministers mentioned that the decisions were planned to be finalized by this week. According to the updated Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) proposal, travellers could take one coronavirus test at the border if they already have a negative test result from the country of origin, which would allow a week’s visit in Finland without quarantine requirements.
