13.3.2020

Effects of the coronavirus pandemic on students

NEWS

Wash your hands, stay home when feeling even slightly ill and cough into your elbow. Do not touch your face and avoid physical contact with other people. Follow the instructions given by officials.

 

An exceptional situation has been declared at the University of Helsinki due to the coronavirus situation. However, there is no need to panic – the measures taken in Finland and at the University are precautionary. It is extremely important to follow these instructions in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

We have collected information on how the coronavirus epidemic affects the students of the University of Helsinki in this article. The article will be updated as necessary.

 

Events organised by HYY

We are cancelling all mass events of the spring:

  • HYY’s Pop Up on 16–20 March
  • Events related to May Day
  • Tutor Adventure on 12–13 May
  • Flora’s Day on 15 May

We will provide more information on organising these events at a later date – for instance, whether we will move some of the events to the autumn. We will also be looking into alternative ways of celebrating events that are important to students, such as May Day.

The events and meetings of HYY’s committees are cancelled.

Unless we make a separate announcement telling you otherwise, all HYY’s events before 31 May are cancelled.

 

Effects on studies

Compulsory attendance in teaching has been abolished. Alternative teaching and studying methods will be decided separately in each degree programme.

We recommend that you study at home and avoid the open studying facilities of the University. The computer facilities of Learning Centre Aleksandria are closed.

All public events organised by the University are cancelled. However, in teaching and other internal events, a maximum of 50 people may be present in the same premises. Faculties will provide more detailed instructions.

The restrictions and instructions listed above are in effect immediately.

We recommend that you follow the communications of the University and your own faculty and degree programme actively. Further information is available here.

 

UniCafe

Some of UniCafe’s restaurants are closed. An updated list of open and closed restaurants is available here. There may be further changes to the opening hours.

Customers are requested to use hand sanitiser, which is available at the start of the service line in each restaurant.

 

Instructions for HYY’s organisations

We recommend that organisations cancel their events this spring. No fee is collected for cancelling reservations to Alina Hall or the Sivistys sauna facilities. Cancellations should be made in the usual manner by sending email to toimisto@hyy.fi.

More detailed instructions for organisations are available here. When facing challenges, organisations can ask for support or further information from our specialist in organisations, Jaakko Kalske, at jaakko.kalske@hyy.fi.

 

Travelling

Travelling abroad on study-related business is forbidden. We also recommend avoiding travel within Finland. The University has suspended sending its students on exchange. However, students currently on exchange have not been asked to return home as of yet.

If you have returned to Finland from abroad, we recommend that you follow the recommendations given by officials and stay in voluntary quarantine at home for 14 days even if you have no symptoms. Study from home if possible.

Follow the instructions and guidelines of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

 

Training for tutors

We will look into what kinds of exceptional arrangements are required to organise tutor training. However, all tutors will receive the training they need for the autumn. We will provide more information on this later.

 

Representative Council meetings

The Representative Council’s meeting on 18 March will be organised. We will take the coronavirus epidemic into account in the arrangements. Representative Council groups will be provided with further information.

 

Further information about the coronavirus

The University of Helsinki’s recommendations and instructions on the exceptional situation

University of Helsinki, the effects of the coronavirus on your studies

Current information on the coronavirus from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

Current information on the coronavirus from the FSHS

Live updates from Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish)

Live updates from Yle Uutiset (in Finnish)

 

Further information:

Aaro Riitakorpi, secretary general

aaro.riitakorpi@hyy.fi

040 0816 426