Govt mulls restricting movement in Helsinki, Turku

The government is planning to enact a law to restrict movement in the Helsinki and Turku regions and making use of facemusk compulsory against the backdrop of the worsening coronavirus situation, reported a leading Finnish language daily, Helsingin Sanomat, on Sunday.

The government will present the bill to the parliament in this regard within a couple of days and it is expected that the parliament will pass the bill within one week after the submission, said the report.

The new law will be applicable for the capital region and Turku as these regions were affected seriously by the coronavirus outbreak.

After enactment of the law, the Defence Forces may participate in implementing the rule, in addition to the police, said the report.

Earlier, the government in last year restricted traffic between the Uusimaa (Helsinki and its adjoining areas) and other regions of the country from March 27 Friday to 19 Apri.

The purpose of the restrictions was to prevent coronavirus infections and to slow down any spread of the epidemic from Uusimaa to other parts of Finland.