Guidelines Concerning Coronavirus COVID-19
May 6 2022
Latest guidelines from Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland concerning the Coronavirus COVID-19 are to be found on this webpage. Updates will follow as guidelines concerning the epidemic become clearer and in accordance with health authorities.
Hiking and Walking
Nature sites can be visited following the basic rules and guidance from the health authorities.
Follow the destinations own web page on Nationalparks.fi to see the regional decisions. On the destinations own web page on Nationalparks.fi you can see to which municipality the destination belongs. Then you can familiarize yourself with the municipality recommendations.
You can find information on regional restrictions and recommendations as well as instructions for specific municipalities on the hospital district websites. Link to these websites: Regional COVID-19 situation and restrictions on the hospital district websites (valtioneuvosto.fi).
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare's current information on the coronavirus situation can be found at: Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL (thl.fi).
Nature and Visitor Centres, Events and Guided Tours
Check the current situation on the webpage of the Destination or Nature Centre you are planning to visit. Nature centers.
You should wear a face mask in situations where avoiding close contact is difficult and the risk of infection may be high. The risk of infection is higher indoors than outdoors. The number of people who may be present in any particular room at one time will depend on the organization and the size of the room.
Decisions on whether to offer guided tours indoors are made locally, following the instructions and guidance from Finnish institute for health and welfare and Regional hospital districts. Please contact our Nature Centres and Visitor Centres for more information about guided tours. The National Institute for Health and Welfare's guidelines are followed very closely in all events and guided tours, and our own guidelines are updated on the basis of these guidelines.
Wilderness Huts and Reservable and Rental Huts
Metsähallitus will increase its guidelines online and in the huts on preventing the spread of corona virus in hut accommodation.
Customers staying in huts will reduce their own and other’s risk of infection by doing the following:
- Do not travel if you are ill, or if you have flu or stomach symptoms
- Dot not stay at a hut if you have flu or stomach symptoms during your trip
- Always wash your hands carefully with soap before you enter the hut and after visiting the hut
- Do not wash up or wash yourself directly in a lake or a river or on top of a well. Pour your washing water into the ground at a sufficient distance from the water body.
- Use hand disinfectant
- Always keep a sufficient safety distance between yourself and other customers also in day trip huts and at other campsites
- If possible, bring your own drinking water
- Never fill your own water bottle on top of the hut water container.
- Wipe all surfaces at the end of your stay (handles, surfaces)
- If you are diagnosed with corona virus after the end of your stay, contact the nearest Metsähallitus customer service point
Remember to Follow Outdoor etiquette
All aspects of outdoor etiquette are particularly important: always maintain a safe distance to other hikers and remember good hand hygiene. You should keep your distance to others at any and all rest stops. Also, it is important to remember good hygiene in the washroom facilities of hiking destinations.