Restrictions to continue on restaurant, use of COVID pass to expand

The government on Wednesday has decided to continue the restrictions on restaurants and bars and continue the preparations for expanding the use of the COVID-19 passport against the backdrop of coronavirus situation.

The government in its informal meeting also proposed that the temporary provisions of the Communicable Diseases Act be extended until the end of June 2022, said an official press release.

The meeting discussed the COVID-19 situation and the measures needed to address it.

The government decided to adopt in full the action plan implementing the revised hybrid strategy to manage the pandemic.

The epidemiological situation has deteriorated in many regions, which means that further measures are needed to reduce the number of infections.

The national target of 80 per cent vaccination coverage was reached on Wednesday, but that alone is not enough to set the development of the epidemic on a downward course.

In line with the government’s decision, the action plan for the revised hybrid strategy will be taken into full use starting on Monday.

The guiding principle for the new strategy is that the various functions of society should remain open. The strategy emphasised the importance of local and targeted measures in combating the epidemic.

The Government wants to promote expanding the use of the COVID-19 passport as an independent restrictive measure. At the same time, it is exploring the possibility of using the COVID-19 passport at workplaces. The matter will be prepared without delay in cooperation between the ministries.