Due to the worsened coronavirus situation, the coronavirus management team of the University of Turku has decided that the third period starts with remote teaching. The personnel works remotely in those tasks where it is possible. The policies are in force until 21 January 2021.
In the spring semester, the University of Turku aims to provide as much contact teaching as possible. The coronavirus situation requires that the instructions on safety measures are followed in all activities. The University implements a restriction on the maximum number of participants or the COVID-19 certificate in public events.
Contact teaching and research can continue as long as the University’s instructions on safety measures are followed closely. The current guideline for remote work remains unchanged. The use of face masks is highlighted.
It is necessary to follow the instructions on safety measures in the University’s facilities. Unnecessary close contacts must be avoided. If close contacts cannot be avoided, masks are used.
The University’s coronavirus management team has decided that the doctoral dissertation defences are opened to the public starting from 25 October 2021. In addition, other public events can again be organised at the University, but the facilities are not rented to external parties for the time being. The coronavirus management team recommends that returning to work on campus is staggered when possible. At the moment, the green light stage of the traffic light model is in force on all the University’s campuses.
In early 2020, researchers in the Clinical Microbiology unit of Turku University Hospital heard about the new Sars-CoV-2 virus. They were among the first ones to start developing the diagnostics. With a foundation in the strong diagnostic expertise at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital (Tyks), the test developed in Turku has had a central role in the fight against the coronavirus.
The University eases coronavirus restrictions starting from 1 October and moves to the green light stage of the coronavirus traffic light model on all campuses. Restrictions on the number of people in indoor spaces are lifted, but close contacts must still be avoided and face masks must be used when necessary.
The City of Turku continues to organise pop up coronavirus vaccinations for students at the Kirkkotie health station. In future, students can also get the second vaccination dose from the pop up events if a minimum of six weeks has passed from the first dose. The next vaccinations are held on Friday, 17 September, Thursday, 23 September, and on Friday, 1 October at 8.45am–3.15pm at the Kirkkotie health station (address Kirkkotie 13).
The coronavirus management team of the University of Turku has decided that if the epidemic allows it, the coronavirus restrictions will be eased by the second period of the autumn semester. The aim is to return to everyday campus life, increasing close contacts as safely as possible. The second period starts on 25 October 2021.
The coronavirus launched a pandemic, but also a wave of new research. In spring 2020, most virologists around the world started to study the new, unknown virus. The challenge was also taken up at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital (Tyks). Eighteen months into the pandemic, the number of international medical publications related to the virus in PubMed is already around 170,000, which is a truly exceptional number.