On an order issued by the Defence Command, the Defence Forces has taken measures to contain the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.
The Defence Forces has instructed that if a Defence Forces employee, conscript, female conscript doing her voluntary military service or reservist ordered to refresher training has returned after 18 February 2020 or will return from a coronavirus epidemic -affected area defined by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, stopovers included, he or she is not allowed to enter his or her service or work place 14 days after having returned to Finland.
An employee who has returned from an epidemic area must work from home or continue his or her annual leave for 14 days.
Conscripts or female conscripts doing their voluntary military service returning from epidemic areas must inform their own company-level unit by telephone that they have returned and are not allowed to return to service in 14 days. When they come back to their company-level unit, conscripts must prove having stayed in the epidemic area at the specified time.
As for reservists ordered to refresher training, having travelled to epidemic areas at the specified time constitutes grounds for postponement or cancellation of refresher training in their case.
Conscripts in military service will be trained to identify the symptoms caused by the virus and how to access medical care.
Persons serving in crisis management missions or other international duties must follow these same instructions unless the organisation in which they serve has not issued stricter instructions in the matter.
Personnel must participate in international exercises as planned, but the situation is being monitored and, if necessary, participation in exercises will be reconsidered.
For the time being, Defence Forces personnel will not carry out work-related travel to epidemic areas defined by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare or their immediate areas.
Moreover, the Defence Forces introduces a temporary prohibition to shake hands, and meetings must be held mainly via remote connections.
The Defence Forces continues active monitoring of the situation and will take further measures if necessary.
