18th March 2020
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, many contracting hotspots are taking action in order to prevent and mitigate the effects of the virus. Here is the latest information from Finland and Saudi Arabia, as of 18th March 2020.
Finland: What you need to know
The Finnish Government has announced, in cooperation with the President of the Republic, that there is a state of emergency in the country as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. To prevent further spread of COVID-19 and protect the population and safeguard the economy, Finland has begun to close its borders. The measures below will be effective as of 19th March 2020 and will run until 13th April 2020:
- The movement of people will be restricted in order to prevent a serious danger to life and health
- Finland will close its borders and suspend travel to Finland until 13th April 2020. This applies to everyone except Finnish citizens and foreigners with permanent residence in Finland
- Indispensable work-related traveling will still be possible and continues within EU borders
- Finns and permanent residents in Finland returning from abroad will be placed in quarantine-like conditions for two weeks.
Finnish citizens and persons residing in Finland must not travel abroad. Finnish tourists abroad are advised to return to Finland immediately. Necessary travel for work and to access other necessary services will be permitted across the northern and western borders. Freight and goods traffic will continue as usual.
For more information, click here.
Saudi Arabia: What you need to know
In Saudi Arabia, measures are also being taken to slow the spread of the virus. No international flight is currently allowed to land at any Saudi airport. All visitor visa applications including work and tourism visas are also not being accepted at any Saudi Embassy. While there is no time frame given for this freeze, there will be a review on 15th of April.
Stay informed
While this is the current situation regarding Finland and Saudi Arabia, things are changing every day, and we encourage contractors and recruiters to pay attention to information from the relevant authorities before making any decisions. Should there be any interruption to your assignment or working life – 6CATS will be here to help.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like more information.