KooKoo, the under-20 men’s ice hockey team from Kouvola, southeast Finland, said on Friday that five players and one official had tested positive for Covid-19.
The infections are linked to a cluster that spread after a game with another junior team from Mikkeli, Jukurit. The team said at a press conference that test results were confirmed on Friday.
One official who participated in the Finnish league game between KooKoo and Jukurit in Mikkeli last Saturday also tested positive for the virus.
The infected persons have been isolated while other players, team managers and officials exposed during the match have been ordered to quarantine themselves. All of the people exposed have been advised to monitor themselves for possible symptoms and to seek a coronavirus test if needed.
As a precautionary measure, KooKoo’s entire tournament team has been ordered to shelter in quarantine-like conditions and all players will be tested on 14 September.
Information available so far suggests that the infection cluster is linked to the league game between KooKoo and Jukurit last Saturday. More than 20 members of the Jukurit team tested positive for Covid-19 this week and all of the infections have been traced back to the same event.
The Kynemlaakso social and health care district, Kymsote, said that it will continue to track people who may have been exposed to infection and to identify the infection chain.
Matriculation exam students go remote
Meanwhile Kouvola upper secondary school students due to begin their matriculation exams this month will continue learning remotely during the autumn examination period. They will switch to distance learning from Monday until the beginning of October.
The decision to move high school seniors to distance learning is also a precautionary measure designed to prevent disruption to the matriculation exams.
Some of the under-20 players on the KooKoo ice hockey team are upper secondary students and earlier this week the city had already recommended that they continue their schooling remotely.
According to a report from Kymsote and city officials, KooKoo players have not exposed other students to infection while at school.
Other upper secondary school students will continue to have contact teaching, but officials say they can also be switched to distance learning if needed.
Other cases come to light
Kouvola city security chief Johanna Franzén said that the situation in Kouvola is more stable than in Mikkeli, where the infections in KooKoo’s junior team likely originated.
However she urged parents to discuss the situation with their children and young adults.
"To a very large extent, the infection situation is especially due to leisure time activities. It’s really worthwhile to think about what to do in your spare time and how you behave," Franzén said in a statement issued by the city.
In addition to the coronavirus cases identified in connection with the KooKoo-Jukurit league game, three other cases were confirmed in the Kymenlaakso region. One patient is said to be receiving hospital treatment in the region.
"In the larger scheme of things the situation in Kymenlaakso is still stable. However the new cases in our area are a reminder that the situation could also change," chief medical officer Marja-Liisa Mäntymaa said in a Kymsote statement.