Restrictions on bars, restaurants to continue

The government on Thursday decided that the ongoing restrictions on the activities of food and beverage businesses will remain unchanged until the end of September to arrest the spread of coronavirus in the country, said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in a press release.

The government issued a decree in this regard saying that restaurants, cafes, and bars must continue to prevent the risk of coronavirus infection by certain measures throughout Finland.

Every customer must have their own seat. In addition, food and beverage service businesses must provide their customers with instructions on how to prevent the spread of a communicable disease.

Customers need to be able to wash their hands, and the premises and surfaces of food and beverage service businesses must be kept clean. Food and beverage service businesses will also be responsible for ensuring sufficient physical distance among the customers.

Each establishment must display its plan on how to implement these restrictions and obligations in such a way that customers can see it.

This decree is valid from 1 September to 30 September 2020.

Restaurants and bars resumed their operations from 1 June, following the partial relaxation of the state of emergency.

Earlier, on 16 March, the government declared the state of emergency in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.