Turku is still in the community transmission phase

– The incidence and number of COVID-19 cases are clearly on the decline. However, the incidence of coronavirus is still high, and we are in the community transmission phase. The positive rate of the tests is still too high, as so few people take the test. Particularly now, during the allergy season, it is important to get tested and not self-diagnose your symptoms as allergy, Chief Physician for Infectious Diseases Jutta Peltoniemi points out.

The symptoms of COVID-19 can be very diverse and symptoms such as headaches or gastrointestinal problems can occur in addition to the symptoms of respiratory infection.

The COVID-19 precautions must be followed even after the receiving the vaccine and should not be dismissed too soon, as the vaccine’s protection develops slowly. Currently as per the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare’s guidelines, the same precautions apply to both vaccinated people and those who are yet to receive the vaccine. At national level, the guidelines will be further refined before the summer. 

Vaccination appointments are sent to Turku residents over the age of 60

48,834 residents of Turku have received their first coronavirus vaccine (28.9% of over 16-year-old residents). 5,371 residents of Turku have received their second coronavirus vaccine (19 April 2021). On week 15, around 30 percent of the vaccinated were between the ages of 65 and 69.

88.9% of residents of Turku over the age of 80 have received their first coronavirus vaccine. Vaccination coverage is 91.1% among the 70–79-year-olds and 62.9% among the 65–69-year-olds.

At the moment, coronavirus vaccinations are administered at Turku Fair Center for the following groups:

• people aged 63 and older
• people belonging to 1. and 2. medical risk groups
• health care and social welfare personnel who work with coronavirus patients or in nursing homes
• booster doses for those who received their 1st dose in the beginning of the year

The coronavirus vaccinations are administered mainly on weekdays at Turku Fair Center. Additional vaccination days are held on Sunday 25 April, Sunday 2 May, and Ascension Day 13 May.

In addition, the residents and the staff of nursing homes are currently receiving their 2nd dose. In Turku, almost all of the people belonging to medical risk groups are vaccinated because the booking of vaccination appointments in this group has clearly slowed down.

This week, the Leila robot has sent vaccination appointments via text message to 63-year-old residents and other people living in Turku. Vaccination appointments are also currently sent to 61–62-year-olds. The appointments of 60-year-olds are sent either this week or next week.

If the proposed time is not good for you and you wish to cancel your appointment, you can do it in two ways:

• through the turku.fi/eterveyspalvelut page no later than 24 hours before the appointment.
• by calling the COVID-19 vaccination helpline 02 266 0159 and leaving a voice message (your name, date of birth and the vaccination appointment you wish to cancel). You can call the helpline at any time of the day.

After you have cancelled the appointment, book another vaccination appointment either online or by calling the COVID-19 vaccination helpline.

– As we are moving towards the working-aged population in the vaccination invitations, we will face certain challenges. Among the people invited to vaccinations, there are people who have never used the health care services of the City of Turku, and we do not have their current contact details. If the residents do not receive an invitation via text message, they should be active and book a vaccination appointment themselves, Peltoniemi points out.

In the beginning of May, some of the occupational health care providers will begin to vaccinate their customers, in accordance with the national criteria for coronavirus vaccinations. Employers will provide more detailed information to their personnel once the vaccinations begin.

The current understanding is that the immunity after COVID-19 lasts for 6 months, so the coronavirus vaccination is not recommended until at least six months after the infection. For more information, please call the COVID-19 vaccination helpline.

All current information on Turku’s coronavirus vaccines is available at turku.fi/en/coronavirusvaccinations.

Over 18-year-old residents can register to be vaccinated from the beginning of May by leaving their contact details

In the beginning of May, the City of Turku will launch a new website through which over 18-year-old residents can register for the coronavirus vaccinations. To the registration page, residents can leave their contact details and phone numbers to which the vaccination appointments will be sent. The Leila robot will send vaccination appointments by age groups and in random order to those who have left their contact details in the registration page. After registration, you may receive the appointment within 3 days.

Logging into the registration page requires strong customer authentication, which means you are required to have a Finnish personal identity code, bank ID code, or some other strong authentication method. The registration page will be launched in May and it will be available in Finnish, Swedish and English.

The exact website address and launch date will be announced once the service’s completion schedule is confirmed.

The coronavirus prevention bus will be at the Maaria local service point on Sunday 25 April

The coronavirus prevention bus will be at your service on Sunday 25 April, from 11:00-17:00 in front of the Maaria local service point at Arkeologinkatu 6. Coronavirus tests taken on the bus are free of charge. Tests can be taken without an appointment or laboratory referral. Coronavirus vaccinations are not given on the bus.

The bus serves Turku areas according to the epidemic situation. In Jäkärlä, several coronavirus exposures have been detected in day care centres and schools during April. As a result, a test opportunity for the coronavirus prevention bus is desired in the area.

The services provided by the coronavirus prevention bus are only intended for Turku residents and those living temporarily or permanently in Turku.

Schoolchildren and students return to contact teaching

On April 20, 2021, the coronavirus working group of Southwest Finland and the management group of the City of Turku have outlined that the comprehensive and upper secondary schools as well as the Vocational Institute in Turku will return from the hybrid model to contact teaching from Monday, April 26, 2021.

Day care centres will continue to operate normally with the practices introduced at the beginning of the year. Open day care operations and family clubs will remain closed until Sunday, 2 May 2021.

Adult education centres will operate entirely remotely throughout the spring.

The face mask recommendation continues with all students, except for the youngest ones

The mask recommendation for grades 1–2 is waived (including afternoon activities), except in those schools that have had a large number of infections: Pansion koulu, Turun normaalikoulu, Lausteen koulu, Nummenpakan koulu and Varissuon koulu. The use of face masks is evaluated weekly. 

The strong face mask recommendation shall continue for third graders and all older pupils and students. The staff face mask requirement is still in force.

Restrictions on exercise to be eased

Group exercise classes will be allowed for adults from 26 April by following safety distances and avoiding contact. Self-motivated sports on the playing fields and other outdoor sports facilities are allowed for groups of 6 and maximum of 12 people at a time on the field.  

Safety instructions and distances must still be followed.  

All indoor group and individual sports are still suspended, with the exception of top-level sports.

An announcement regarding the opening of swimming halls and other indoor sport facilities will be made shortly.

Recreational activities for children at lower comprehensive schools (children born in or after 2008) will continue with safety distances and in indoors by avoiding contact.

Recreational activities (such as sports club hours) in the city’s indoor sports facilities for comprehensive school pupils (children born in or before 2007) and other people under the age of 20 will be allowed from 26 April, avoiding contact.

Outdoor group activities: contact will be allowed for children born in or after 2001 from 26 April.

The use of locker rooms must be avoided.

Children’s and young people’s competitions and matches will be suspended until at least 15 May.