OKM and THL: new COVID-19 recommendations for early childhood education and care, educational institutions and higher education institutions
The Ministry of Education and Culture and the National Institute for Health and Welfare have issued new recommendations on health safety for early childhood education and care, educational institutions, and higher education institutions. From now on, the coronavirus epidemic will be tackled primarily by local and regional measures based on the Communicable Diseases Act.
The recommendations issued have been updated to correspond to other valid recommendations related to the coronavirus epidemic, the Government guidelines, and amendments of the Communicable Diseases Act.
According to the epidemic situation, regional and local competent authorities may issue additional or more limited recommendations based on their own risk assessment. Recommendations on the use of mask in educational institutions and early childhood education and care may vary regionally or locally.
The recommendations make it possible, for example, to loosen or abolish restrictions on keeping different classes separate and to loosen or abolish requirements to maintain a safe distance of two metres.
In order to prevent the spread of possible infections, it is important that everyone avoid attending early childhood education and care, attending or teaching classes, or attending any other activities organised on the premises of education institutions if they have symptoms or are ill.
- OKM-THL: recommendation to providers of education and early childhood education and care during the COVID-19 epidemic (PDF, in Finnish)
- OKM-THL: recommendation to universities, universities of applied sciences and providers of general upper secondary education, vocational education and training, liberal adult education and basic education for adults during the coronavirus epidemic (PDF, in Finnish)
