Restrictions on bars, restaurants ease from Thursday

A number of restrictions imposed specially on restaurants and other food and beverage service businesses due to the COVID-19 epidemic will ease almost throughout the country from Thursday depending on the epidemiological situation of the area concerned.

The government on Wednesday amended the decree restricting the activities of such businesses due to the COVID-19 epidemic, said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in a press release.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health decided on 10 May to discontinue the countrywide tiers of COVID-19 prevention measures.

Going forward, COVID-19 prevention in Finland will focus on regional restrictions and recommendations.

The regional restrictions on food and beverage service businesses will be updated weekly to correspond to the prevailing epidemiological situation.

The government will carry out the next review of the restrictions, particularly of those for the community transmission phase, by 27 May.

Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in areas that are at a stable level in the regions of Åland, South Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, North Ostrobothnia, North Savo, North Karelia, Central Finland, South Savo, Ostrobothnia, Satakunta, and the Hospital District of Lapland will be eased from 13 May.

There, restaurants may serve alcoholic beverages between 7:00 and 00.00 hours and be open to customers between 5.00 and 1:00 hours.

In these regions, restaurants that primarily serve alcoholic beverages may have in use half the normal number of customer seats on indoor premises. In other restaurants, 75 per cent of customer seats may be in use on indoor premises. The restrictions on the number of customer seats do not apply in Åland.

On outdoor terraces, each customer must have a seat, and everyone must take care of safe distancing. The customer-seating restrictions and ‘dance ban’ do not apply to outdoor terraces.

Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in areas that are in the acceleration phase in the regions of Kanta-Häme, Central Ostrobothnia, Kymenlaakso, Pirkanmaa, and the Hospital District of Länsi-Pohja will also be eased from 13 May.

In these areas, restaurants may serve alcoholic beverages between 7:00 and 22:00 hours and remain open between 5:00 and 23:00 hours.

In these regions, restaurants that primarily serve alcoholic beverages may have in use half the normal number of customer seats in indoor areas. Other restaurants may seat 75 per cent of their normal number of customers inside their establishments.

Here restaurants must also instruct customers to stay seated on indoor premises. This means that dancing and karaoke, for example, are prohibited in indoor spaces.

On outdoor terraces, each customer must have a seat, and everyone must take care of safe distancing. The customer-seating restrictions and ‘dance ban’ do not apply to outdoor terraces.

Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in areas that are in the community transmission phase in the regions of Päijät-Häme, South Karelia, Southwest Finland, and Uusimaa will be eased somewhat from 13 May, too.

But in these regions, restaurants that primarily serve alcoholic beverages may remain open from 7:00 to 18:00 hours. Other restaurants may stay open from 5:00 and 19:00 hours. They may have in use half the normal number of customer seats on indoor premises. Restaurants may serve alcoholic beverages between 7:0 and 19:00 and be open between 5.00 and 20.00 hours. hours. On outdoor terraces, each customer must have a seat, and everyone must take care of safe distancing. The above-mentioned customer-sitting restrictions and 'dance ban' do not apply in outdoor terraces.

The restrictions laid down in the decree do not apply to the activities of staff restaurants or to takeaway sales of food to customers.

The restrictions on opening hours also do not apply to food and beverage service businesses on vessels and aircraft that operate between Finland and other countries or abroad, or to food and beverage service businesses that operate at distribution stations of liquid fuels.