The Confederation of Finnish Trade Unions and the Finnish Grocery Trade Association (PTY) demanded on Tuesday to abandon the recommendations to use masks in shops and stores.
After about two years of recommending the use of protective equipment, the groups ’announcement came shortly after the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced that it was abandoning its general face protection recommendation.
According to THL, however, the general mask recommendations in Finland still vary from region to region. For example, the regional mask recommendation is still valid throughout the Helsinki metropolitan area.
THL added that employers make their decisions on the use of masks based on their own risk assessment. THL’s guidelines only apply to customers, not employees.
The Trade Union and PTY say they will continue to compile mask recommendations for companies on the recommendation of regional hospital districts.
Last month, the Finnish state railway company VR switched from a mandatory mask restriction to a recommendation. Instead, the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) still maintains its mask recommendation despite the Health Board’s announcement.
The mask recommendation for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area as a whole is still valid. The mask recommendation also applies to those who are in the school premises from the sixth grade upwards and those over 12 years of age indoors or in shared vehicle use.
Outside the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, mask recommendations are still valid in Tampere, Turku, Kouvola, Oulu and other municipalities. Over the past month, however, a number of mask requirements have been removed from public transport in various cities and replaced by a recommendation.
Source: The Nordic Page