The City of Turku, the Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Finavia, the Finnish Border Guard, the Regional State Administrative Agency and airlines continued collaboration in testing and providing guidance for passengers arriving from Skopje on Tuesday 11 August.

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Skopje is located in North Macedonia, classified as a high-risk country due to the prevailing coronavirus situation. All passengers who arrived in Turku on the flight on 11 August have been placed in quarantine in accordance with the Communicable Diseases Act and they have been tested. The decision on quarantine for passengers arriving from Skopje is made by the City of Turku chief physician for infectious diseases.

All 157 passengers arriving on the flight from Skopje to Turku on Saturday 8 August were tested for coronavirus and 26 of them tested positive. All passengers with the infection have been contacted.

- The municipality of residence is responsible for monitoring persons placed in quarantine. In Turku, for instance, such persons are regularly contacted, says Chief Physician for Infectious Diseases at the City of Turku Jutta Peltoniemi.

The evolving coronavirus situation in other countries is being monitored. Flights arrive in Turku also e.g. from Gdansk in Poland. Passengers arriving from Poland are recommended to self-isolate for 14 days but at least for the time being, they are not tested at the airport.

A person who has been placed in quarantine cannot, for instance, use public transport. Moreover, a person in quarantine cannot go to work, school, early childhood education and care, stores or other public facilities.

- The process related to providing guidance for and testing persons arriving in the country via the Port of Turku is being prepared in collaboration with different authorities and shipping companies, says Director of the Welfare Division at the City of Turku Riitta Liuksa.

The City of Turku would like everyone to remember that we have a shared responsibility to mitigate the consequences of the second wave of coronavirus.

As schools start, the City of Turku recommends that all passengers in public transport use face masks. During rush hours, buses may be crowded and it may not be possible to maintain safety distances. Whenever possible, travel should take place outside rush hours. Guidance will be specified if national recommendations are issued.

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