14.8.2020

HYY’s instructions and guidelines for organisations during the coronavirus situation, updated on 23 November 2020

Based on the recommendations of the Finnish government and the coronavirus coordination group for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, we are making adjustments to the coronavirus instructions aimed at organisations.

We will be reviewing the coronavirus instructions and restrictions every two weeks starting on 31 August. Up-to-date instructions and restrictions along with their period of validity will be announced in the newsletter for organisations, sent to organisations every two weeks from 3 September onwards.

HYY’s recommendations are in effect until further notice. We are monitoring the situation and will update the instructions as needed. HYY’s recommendations for organisations can be found below.

The organisers must be prepared to change their plans or, if needed, cancel their event. When planning events, you should remember that official instructions may change on short notice.

 

Restrictions and recommendations concerning HYY’s meeting and festive premises

  • Alina Hall and attic sauna Sivistys are not available for organisations to reserve or use until further notice. You do not need to cancel existing reservations.
  • Meeting rooms Wilhelmsson, Seppele, Kabinetti and Barrikaadi can be reserved by organisations for meetings. Cancelling a meeting room reservation must be done on the day of the reservation at the latest.
  • There is a limit of 10 people in effect in meeting rooms. However, in the case of smaller meeting rooms in particular, the organisers should use special consideration on what constitutes a suitable number of participants.
  • Hand sanitiser and face masks have been supplied to meeting rooms. The users are generally responsible for maintaining adequate hygiene themselves. If you notice that the meeting room does not have these supplies or that they have run out, please inform the Organisational Services Office (toimisto@hyy.fi).
  • The front door of Staircase A of the New Student House is open during normal opening hours.

 

Restrictions and recommendations concerning organisational premises

  • Events organised in HYY’s organisational premises must adhere to the 10-person limit for people present. The organiser must evaluate whether it is possible to organise the event in the premises in such a way that people are able to observe safe distances and maintain adequate hygiene. If needed, the organiser may set a stricter limit on the number of people.
  • Events where the risk for spreading the disease is elevated should not be organised in organisational premises. You should not organise parties, as singing, close contacts and the processing of drinks and food all increase the risk of infection.
  • All unofficial afterparties and such are forbidden in HYY’s organisational premises
  • Other recreational use in organisational premises should be avoided. Holding meetings and conducting other activities that are necessary for the organisation’s operations is permitted in the premises as long as you pay special attention to maintaining good hygiene and observing safe distances. However, we recommend that organisations hold meetings remotely, if possible.
  • The bodies in charge of managing the premises must ensure that there is hand sanitiser and soap available in the premises, along with paper towels, if possible. Everyone using the premises must wash their hands upon arrival. In addition to this, taking care of general hygiene (coughing and sneezing in your sleeve, etc.) is of utmost importance.

 

Recommendations concerning organisations’ events

  • We strongly recommend using face masks in all events.
  • We recommend a maximum limit of 10 people for all events organised indoors and outdoors. If needed, the organiser may set a stricter limit on the number of people.
  • It is strongly recommended to keep a list of participants at events, as this makes it possible to trace those exposed to the virus in possible cases of infection. You should store the list of participants for at least three weeks due to the incubation period of the disease (1–14 days). After this, the personal data must be either destroyed or stored in accordance with the organisation’s policies regarding the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
  • The organiser is responsible for hygiene at the event. The organiser is responsible for ensuring that it is possible to wash and/or disinfect your hands at the event. The realisation of safe distances must also be ensured.
  • A sufficient safe distance is at least 1.5 metres. If an event has a seated area, safe distances must be taken into account by leaving some seats empty, for instance. Communication on hygiene instructions and safe distances should continue throughout the event.
  • It must be possible to observe safe distances throughout the event, and the organiser is responsible for monitoring this. The organiser is responsible for suspending the event, if safe distances cannot be observed in it. You should always think of safety first when planning events. Heavy use of alcohol makes it difficult to follow the organiser’s safety instructions.
  • If masks are used at the event, participants should be instructed on proper mask use in advance, as actions such as constantly putting on and removing the mask may increase the risk of coronavirus infection. The mask recommendation and instructions on mask use can be found here.
  • We urge organisations to favour remote events. If your event concept does not allow for this, however, we recommend organising the event outdoors, as the risk of infection is smaller outdoors than indoors. Hosting events remotely also takes into account students who belong in groups that are at risk as well as students who do not feel safe attending physical events. Physical events should also not be marketed as mandatory, and getting your overalls, for instance, should not be dependent on participation in physical events.
  • In connection with your events, you should not spend time in places where following the provided safety instructions has proved challenging, such as night clubs. Students should not organise their own shadow events, and organisations should communicate this to their members.

We urge organisations to actively monitor the development of the coronavirus situation. We urge you to follow official instructions at both individual and organisational level to the extent that they apply to your activities. Organisations can also encourage their own members to follow official instructions.

 

Useful links

 

HYY monitors the situation actively and provides further information as needed. If you have any questions about these instructions or if your organisation is facing a challenging situation of any kind, you can contact the organisational sector directly (contact details below).

 

Further information

Lovisa Hirvonen
Member of the Board (organisations)
lovisa.hirvonen@hyy.fi
050 543 9615