This page consists of information available on www.hameenlinna.fi/ajankohtaista-koronaviruksesta and is translated into English. We try to update the information every day as soon as translation is ready.

(updated 30.3.20)

What to do if you suspect that you have contracted coronavirus

• If you have mild respiratory symptoms, stay home and prevent others from getting infected.
• Do self-assessment if you contacted coronavirus in the Omaolo electronic service. You will get instructions how to do the test on the Omaolo website here. The service is available in Finnish.
• If your condition worsens or you need advice on treatment, call your health center on weekdays from 8:00 to 15:00.  In the evenings or at weekends you can contact the emergency department of Central Hospital of Kanta-Häme.
• A national telephone service at the number 0295 535 535 gives general information and advice on the coronavirus on weekdays 8:00–21:00 and Saturdays 9:00–15:00.
• Additionally, a chat service has been opened and it offers general information on the corona-situation. The chat is open on weekdays 8:00 – 21:00 and on Saturdays 9:00 – 15:00. The service is primarily available in Finnish and, where possible, also in Swedish and English.
• The Central Hospital of Kanta-Häme informs about the number of coronavirus patients daily on their website

If you know Finnish language, please, follow Hämeenlinna City- corona web site.

Check the Ministry of Foreing Affairs website for the latest travel advisories.

 

Social and Health Services

Corona health station

A new corona health station opened on 19.3.2020 at the Hämeenlinna Main Health Center, in G-wing. The station is open on weekdays 8-16, by appointment, through your standard health center. Read Health Services Information Bulletin.

 

Visits are  banned

People who are at the highest risk of contracting the coronavirus, the elderly and the sick, must be protected from corona-infection in every way!

Visits are banned in: hospitals and nursing homes operated by the city (homes for the elderly and the disabled).

Do not visits elderly people in their homes.

Meetings within the services for the elderly,  child protection and employment services will be held online in first place. If there is a need to meet face-to-face, do not shake hands, keep safe distance and remember about proper hands hygiene.

 

 

Care Services for the Elderly

The City of Hämeenlinna provides care services for the elderly every day, despite the exceptional situation in order to ensure wellbeing of those who have to stay at home. No one should be left unattended.

However, due to the corona-situation, some modifications to regular short-term care and temporary clients might occur.

 

Health care centers

Necessary treatment and home visits are made for patients, for example suffering from cancer, if they cannot be rescheduled.

Prescription renewals through electronic system.

If an individual’s medical condition requires an assessment, the person should contact the care center where they are being treated for their illness.

City health centers will cancel or reschedule nonurgent nurse and doctor appointments due to the coronavirus situation.

Dental healthcare is currently canceling nonurgent appointments of the patients belonging to the risk-group. Urgent appointments will be managed. Patients with coronavirus who need dental care will be referred to Kanta-Häme Central Hospital.

 

Social work

Early support family work service (Varhaisen tuen perhetyö) offers quick help on the phone. The service hours have been prolonged due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The City of Hämeenlinna opened a helpline in everyday matters for the region residents on 19.3.2020 at 10. The service is called “Akuutti arkiapu” and you can read about it here Akuutti arkiapu-helpline.

Call 03 621 7200 to ask for the service. Helpline is open from Monday to Friday 9-18 and on Saturday and Sunday 10-14.

For the time being, appointments of social work for adult clients continue during the coronavirus epidemic. Social workers will contact customers by telephone and electronically.

If necessary, face-to-face appointments will continue as before, following the coronavirus guidelines i.e. avoiding handshaking and close contact.

Telephone helpline of the Hämeenlinna Social Services, tel. 03 621 3303, is open from Monday to Friday 9-16.

You can also always notify us of your need for assistance electronically.

 

Mental Health Services

A professional mental health adviser is available on the phone: 03 621 3312. The service is open from Monday to Friday 9:00-15:00. The service is addressed to those who need mental support in coping with the difficult situation of pandemic.

Psychiatric nurses in health centers are available during their on-call hours.

 

Toppari – Support Service

The Toppari Support Service helps when everyday life gets overwhelming. Call 050 571 7763 (Mon. 18-20, Tue. 12-14, Wed. 18-20 and Thu. 12-14). More information on Toppari website. The service is open 25.3 – 14.5.2020.

 

Urgent Social Work Services and Shelter in Kanta-Häme

Kanta-Häme social emergency helpline gives support only in urgent social care situations. The phone number is on 03 6217100.

The shelter in Hämeenlinna is open normally and the shelter’s personnel is prepared for different situations. Shelter’s website.

 

School Health Care

While schools remain closed, school health staff is delegated to other tasks. Contact information to substituting school nurses has been given through Wilma-service.

Regardless of the pandemic situation, school health care is able to provide personalized support and assistance. Please contact us if you need help!

Contact information to a school nurse available has been provided through Wilma-service to all students.

 

Maternity and child care services (Neuvola)

• Visit NEUVOLA only if you are healthy!
• Due to the coronapandemic, mother-child health checks have been reduced.
• Health checks for the pregnant and newborn babies (less than 1 year old) are conducted at the clinics. Health checks for other age groups are carried out only if needed.
• Health checks of  newborn babies are carried out at child care clinics (Neuvola) instead of  at homes.
• Vaccinations are given, partially at schools.
• Maternity and Child Care Clinics offer personalized support and care to mothers and children regardless the corona-situation.

 

Student Health Care and Health Counsel for the Youth

Due to the pandemic situation, the work of student health centers has been reduced. Urgent and necessary visits will be made until 6.4. and later Health Counsel for the Youth will offer service for everyone in need.

Health Counsel for the Youth is available on the phone from Monday to Friday, 8:00-15.00. Nurses are available at phone numbers:  050 546 1389 and  050 466 0324. If you need PH doctor’s or psychologist’s help during the corona-situation, contact a nurse first.

 

Family Care Unit -Kanerva

More information on the work of the Family Care Unit – Kanerva during the coronavirus epidemic, you can find of the Kanerva website.

Education and welfare services

Schools

 

During week 14, the city will launch catering services for the kids who are learning at homes. The service is addressed to those families who face financial difficulties during the time when schools are closed. Information about the service will be sent to families through the Wilma-service during week 14.

18.3.2020 basic education started remote learning at homes and only partially continues at schools.

Schools are well-prepared for this unusual situation. We hope that schoolchildren will also receive support from their parents and guardians so that the daily routine at home goes in line with school routine.

Questions concerning the remote studying can be addressed directly to the class teacher.

• Questions & Answers on corona-situation related to basic education.
• Instructions for schools and home to support learning.

Morning and afternoon clubs continue for those children who are allowed to receive contact studying.

According to the government instructions, school catering will be available only to those children who need to learn at schools.

Messages concerning changes in school transport have been sent to those families to which it applies, that is those schoolchildren who study at schools and need school transport.

The City of Hämeenlinna has cancelled all school trips abroad until further notice. The restriction also applies to all foreign guests visiting the schools administered by the city of Hämeenlinna. Foreign groups are not allowed to visit schools until further notice.

All school events, parents-teachers meetings etc. planned for this spring are postponed. The information on the spring ceremonies will be given later.

 

Early education

As of 18.3.2020, day care centers in Hämeenlinna remain open in order to enable work of parents and guardians in crucial and emergency sectors. It is recommended that those children for whom parents or guardians can organize home care will stay at home.

About 20% of children need now care and education at day care centers or pre-education centers. Some of early childhood education units will be closed between 23.3.-13.4.2020.

• Questions & Answers concerning the corona-situ and ation related to early end
• instructions for schools and home to support learning.

Pre-primary education children who stay at home will receive instructions on how the remote learning is organized. The instructions will be sent through Daisy.

Early education open clubs are suspended.

The March and April payments for the early education will be refunded if a child was absent from the education between the period of 18.3 – 13.4.2020. More information on the refund you can find here.

Children who return from abroad stay at home for 2 weeks; they don’t go either to school or child care center. If a parent or guardian of a child returns from abroad, but a child was at that time in Finland and has no symptoms of disease, he or she may go to school or childcare center.

Particular attention is paid to the cleaning quality in day care centers and family day care centers. Parents and guardians are asked to pay special attention to their own and their children hands hygiene and to remember to wash hands before and after the day at care center. Centers also pay attention to hands hygiene together with children.

All school events, parents-teachers meetings etc. planned for this spring are postponed. The information on the spring ceremonies will be given later.

Cultural Path events that take place outside day care centers are suspended. The information on the spring ceremonies will be given later.

 

Services for the Youth

Services for the Youth operate online only for the time being. You can find profiles of workers, places and Ohjaamo in social media as well as on staff website.

 

More news form the education and welfare services in Finnish:

• Oppimisen tueksi ohjeita kouluille ja kotiin (24.3.2020)
• Nuorisotyö toimii aktiivisesti verkossa (23.3.2020)
• Varhaiskasvatuksessa ja perusopetuksessa läsnä olevien lasten määrä pudonnut voimakkaasti (20.3.2020)
• Varhaiskasvatuksen asiakasmaksuista vapautus (19.3.2020)
• Tiedote kouluista ja päivähoidosta (18.3.2020)
• Tarkentava tiedote koulujen ja päiväkotien toiminnasta (17.3.2020)
• Miten puhua lapsen ja nuoren kanssa koronavirustilanteesta (17.3.2020)
• Hämeenlinnan 4.-9. luokat siirtyvät etäopetukseen (16.3.2020)
• Koronaviruksen vaikutukset koulujen ja päiväkotien tilanteeseen (16.3.2020)

 

Culture

All events organized by the City of Hämeenlinna are canceled until the end of May.

The external use of the multi-purpose facilities (Voutila Center) is suspended

Partnership House (Kumppanuustalo) is closed.

Hämeenlinna City Library is closed. Books can be returned to boxes. If you forgot your PIN code, you can find instruction what to do here. Check the library’s website for borrowing e-books.

The Hämeenlinna City Museums are closed.

Events at Verkatehdas (planned for 13.3.-31.5.2020) are canceled or postponed

All Children’s Saturdays organized by the ARX Children and Youth Center will be canceled until further notice.

The Hämeenlinna Theatre cancels all spring 2020 performances.

 

More news form the culture sector in Finnish:

• Kirjastot suljettu (17.3.2020)
• Arx toimii koronaviruksen leviämisen ehkäisemiseksi Hämeenlinnan kaupungin ohjeiden mukaisesti (13.3.2020)

Sport

School gyms and youth centers are closed.

Hämmenlinna Sport Center (Hämeenlinnan Liikuntahallit Oy) is closed 18.3.-13.4.2020. The decision concerns also ice halls and ball halls. Trainings are cancelled in Timmi.

Seasonal guided trainings are suspended

Gyms in Hämeenlinna region as well as Loimua Areena will be closed until Easter

Temppulaari and public skating will be suspended until the end of spring.Current information on the sports hall website

The locker rooms of the public open-air swimming pools of the City of Hämeenlinna in Aulanko, Ahvenisto, Hauho and Iittala are currently out of use.

 

City Administration

City Hall and the Wetteri building are closed until 13.4.2020. The restaurant in Wetteri is open.

The Hämeenlinna City Archives Customer Service is closed 17.3 – 14.4.2020. The IT Helpdesk is open and available online through electronic form or by phone.

 

Urban Services

The urban services and construction supervision services operate on the phone and electronically.

City administration services in Wetteri 3rd floor are closed for customers until further notice. Customer service on the phone: 03 621 2310 form Monday to Friday, 9.00-15.00. Emails can be addressed at mypalvelupiste(at)hameenlinna.fi. Documents can be delivered to Kastelli service point.

 

Public transportation

Current information and how the situation with coronavirus affects the public transportation in Hämeenlinna region can be found on the public transportation website.

More news form the urban services in Finnish:

• Aloituskokousten ja katselmuksien toimittaminen poikkeustilan aikana (24.3.2020)
• Jätteenkuljetus poikkeusolojen aikana (23.3.2020)
• Avantouintipaikat on suljettu toistaiseksi (19.3.2020)
• Muutoksia kaupunkirakenteen asiakaspalveluun (16.3.2020)

The Mayorof Hämeenlinna, Timo Kenakkala’s message to the residents

Travel instructions for the staff of the Hämeenlinna City

The instruction refers to business travel abroad and home, as well as returning from holidays. Instructions concerning cancellation of visitor groups and city events has also been provided.

Travel and work instructions for the staff of the Hämeenlinna City have been updated on 16.3.2020. All business trips abroad are suspended for the time being and meetings will be conducted possible remotely if possible.

 

How to prevent coronavirus COVID-19?

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
• Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Use a tissue or your sleeve, not your hands, to cover your mouth while coughing or sneezing.

Read more about how to handwash and symptoms of coronavirus on our website news here.