The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus a public health emergency of international concern.
"We have to do everything possible to prepare for a potential pandemic," said the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Monday.
In response to this crisis, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health appointed a group to coordinate preparedness for public health emergencies related to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
According to government information, the coordination group will plan, manage and coordinate measures in healthcare and social welfare to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus.
An operational group will work under the coordination group. Its task is to maintain situational awareness in the field and coordinate preparedness measures. The term of office of the two groups will remain in force until further notice.
The group responsible of the coordination will support the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea), the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira), the regional state administrative agencies and the municipalities and joint municipal authorities in their efforts to prevent spread of the virus.
