Govt to further ease restrictions on restaurants, cafes

The government on Wednesday announced that COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants and cafes would be further eased from June 22, while warning that tougher measures could be restored if the pandemic situation worsens, reported Xinhua.

Family Affairs and Social Services Minister Krista Kiuru said at a press conference that from next Monday restaurants and cafes throughout the country can stay open until 2 a.m. and sell alcohol until 1 a.m.

Since allowed to reopen from June 1, restaurants and cafes had to close at 11 p.m. and cease alcohol sales at 10 p.m.

The customer volume limit inside a restaurant will be raised from 50 to 75 percent of the authorized capacity. Buffets will be allowed.

Kiuru added that all capacity restrictions could be lifted in mid-July, if the situation does not go worsen.

Meanwhile, the government decided that current limits of public and private gatherings remain unchanged, which means that gatherings of more than 50 people indoors and more than 500 people outdoors would not be allowed until August 1.

Recommendation to avoid visits in hospitals was withdrawn, but only safe visits are recommended to 24/7 healthcare facilities. The managers of healthcare facilities can ban visits on the basis of infectious diseases laws, according to the government.

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the cabinet is to review the travel restrictions on June 23.

Finland currently allows arrivals without quarantine only from Iceland, Denmark, Norway and the three Baltic countries -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.