The controversial return to face-to-face teaching in Finnish schools is not being easy. Especially in the capital region (Uusimaa), where there are already 6 educational centers that have been affected by the coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish).
Three schools in the municipality of Sipoo (36 km northeast of Helsinki) joined on Tuesday the list of centers that had to take isolation measures to protect dozens of students, teachers and staff members. Previously, two Helsinki schools and a school located in the municipality of Porvoo had to do so.
The municipality of Sipoo reported in a press release that a coronavirus infection was diagnosed on Tuesday at Sipoonjoki school, in the central area of Nikkilä.
Around 20 students and "a few teachers" have been exposed to the virus and therefore they have been placed in quarantine as a precautionary measure. Exposed students had to switch back to distance learning.
For the rest of the students, contact teaching will continue in accordance to the safety and hygiene practices established by the Government, the municipality said. Around 330 pupils in grades 7-9 study at Sipoonjoki school.
Other schools affected
Earlier on Tuesday, local authorities reported that at another school in south Sipoo, Gumbostrands skola, one staff member was diagnosed with Covid-19. As a precautionary measure, other 13 pupils from this school have been placed in quarantine. The isolated students are all from the same teaching group.
The Gumbostrands school has about 50 students in grades 0-6.
In addition, Sipoo has previously recommended pupils from Söderkulla school in grades 4, 5 and 6 also to switch back to distance learning. According to the city authorities, the reason is that a significant portion of the school staff has been placed in quarantine after been infected with an infected person.
In the case of Söderkulla school, the students have not been exposed, the municipality said.
Contact teaching continues as normal in the rest of primary schools in Sipoo.
