Parliament approves restaurant closure until 18 April

Parliament on Sunday approved the government’s proposal to continue with the ongoing closure of bars and restaurants until 18 April.

Parliament convened the rare session on the weekend as the ongoing restrictions on the food and beverage services scheduled to end on Sunday. The president also signed the law on Sunday, immediately after parliament approved the bill.

Earlier, on 23 March, the government submitted the proposal to parliament in this regard.

The closure of restaurants and bars will continue under the same conditions as those of the previous closure.

Restaurants and other food and beverage service businesses will remain closed to customers in areas where the COVID-19 epidemic situation is the most serious. The take-away services will stay running.

Provisions on the areas of application will be laid down by a government decree. Food and beverage service business will stay closed to customers in the regions where the epidemic is in the acceleration or community transmission phase.

The regions are Uusimaa, Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Kanta-Häme, Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia, South Savo, Central Finland, Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia, Lapland, and Åland

South Ostrobothnia, however, will remain out of the restrictions along with North Karelia, Central Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, and North Savo regions as the coronavirus situation there has improved.