• Services intended for immigrants
• Information on coronavirus in different languages
• Schools and day care
• Instructions: Don't infect others!
• Crisis helplines
• Furlough, unemployment or disrupted payment of salary
• Information on support available for businesses and entrepreneurs
• Kela's telephone service in Russian, Arabic and Somali

Services intended for immigrants

The low-threshold info point of the City of Turku Infotori serves in 14 languages at Skanssi by appointment and by phone. Guidance in Arabic, Dari, English, Kurdish, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Romanian, German, Somali, Finnish, Thai, Russian and Estonian.

Language specific guidance times and service numbers have been listed on the website turku.fi/en/infotori. Moreover, current information and news translated in different languages are updated on the Facebook page of Infotori.

Maahanmuuttajien Osaamispiste offers guidance for job search, study matters and learning Finnish in at least the following languages: English, Arabic, Dari, Kurdish, Persian, French, Swedish and Russian.

Information about coronavirus and changes in services offered by the City of Turku is distributed to linguistic minorities also in collaboration with immigration liaison officers, the Multicultural Council and different associations. Information targeted for immigrant entrepreneurs in the form of websites and webinar is being planned, as is web content for multicultural families to make everyday life easier.

Information on coronavirus in different languages

The City of Turku gathers current information to provide guidance on corona and changes to city services on the website www.turku.fi/en/corona. You can translate the page into your own language using Google Translate.

If you suspect having caught coronavirus, see here for instructions and contact details.

• If you need medical care for another illness, book an appointment at your own health station, tel. +358 2 266 1130 or contact your occupational health care.
• In case of emergency or if you need an ambulance, please call 112.

Coronavirus – instructions for Turku residents in different languages

How should I act in a coronavirus situation? How do I use a cloth face mask? What does self-isolation mean?

• Albanian, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Arabic, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Bosnian, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• English, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Kurdish, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Persian, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• French, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Swedish, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Somali, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Dari language, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Chinese, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Polish, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Finnish, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Russian, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
• Estonian, instructions for coronavirus, using a face mask and quarantine (8/2020)
 

• InfoFinland  has gathered links leading to websites of Finnish authorities and information on coronavirus in 12 languages.
• YLE news service offers news videos and information of coronavirus on Arabic, Somali, Kurdish and Persian.
• Instruction videos by Daisy Ladies on protecting yourself against coronavirus are available in Arabic, Somali, Persian, Kurdish and Spanish.
• Immigrant associations distribute information on corona through their own channels.

Schools and day care

Information for parents on coronavirus, contact teaching and distance teaching is available in different languages in this blog for multicultural education. You will find information on returning from abroad and quarantine as well as instructions for a situation where a child falls ill.

• Further information can be found in this multicultural education blog.

Further information on the operating of schools and day care during coronavirus

• The activities of the schools and the day care services of the City of Turku during the coronavirus situation
• School health care services during the coronavirus epidemic
• Children should not attend day care or school when ill

Don't infect others!

• Stay home as much as possible
• Don't give hugs
• Don't shake hands
• Don't go near others
• Avoid all group meetings and don't arrange them
• Wash your hands carefully with water and soap
• Use single-use tissues when you cough and sneeze

Crisis helplines also in Arabic and English

If the current epidemic or any other factor causes anxiety, the national crisis helpline is open 24 hours per day. It is a low-threshold conversation service that you can contact instead of worrying on your own.

Phone numbers:

• in Finnish +358 9 2525 0111 – open 24 hours per day
• in Swedish +358 9 2525 0112 – open 20 hours per day on weekdays (Mon-Fri) 
• in Arabic and English +358 9 2525 0113 – open 20 hours per day on weekdays (Mon-Thu)

Furlough, unemployment or disrupted payment of salary

Many Finns will experience significant worry over work or money if they become unemployed or furloughed due to limitations caused by coronavirus. Therefore, we have put together instructions to give or pass on to those who become unemployed or furloughed or whose employer disrupts the payment of salary.

• What to do if you have become furloughed or unemployed (in English)
• What to do if you have become furloughed or unemployed (in Russian)

Multilingual information on support available for businesses and entrepreneurs

Many immigrants work as entrepreneurs and have encountered financial difficulties due to the state of emergency caused by coronavirus. The Finnish state, ELY centres and municipalities help and support businesses finding themselves in financial difficulties in many ways.

In collaboration with the City of Turku, the Tempo project has created a list of different support opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs in Finnish and English. The list will also be translated into Arabic, Dari, Kurdish and Russian.

The list can be found in the Tempo project blog.

Kela has opened a nationwide telephone service in Russian, Arabic and Somali

Due to the state of emergency caused by coronavirus, the Russian, Arabic and Somali telephone services in the capital region have been opened for nationwide use. The lines are open on Mondays, Wednesday and Friday from 9 am to noon. They are open only during the state of emergency caused by coronavirus and when they eventually close down, it will be communicated separately. If the customer is able to handle their affairs in Finnish, Swedish or English, they will be redirected to other service numbers. If they are able to handle their affairs online, they will be advised to do so.

Kela telephone service numbers:

• Arabic +358 20 6344 902
• Somali +358 20 6344 905
• Venäjä +338 20 6344 901