Finnish restaurants are once again subject to opening hours restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, on Friday, September 30, the Government will issue a decree limiting the opening of bars, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs nationwide from 4:00 am to 1:00 am. The hours in which it will be allowed to sell alcohol will be from 9:00 to midnight. All establishments must be closed at 1:00.
This regulation will enter into force on 1 October and will remain in force at least until 31 October, the Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services, Krista Kiuru, explained in a press conference.
Under the new regulation, there will be no limitations in the number of customers. But, as before, all customers must have their own seating place, and the business owners should take care of good hygiene practices.
Food and beverage service businesses will have a one-week transition period to prepare for the new restrictions, and they will have to comply with the decree in this respect as of 8 October.
Business owners must also guarantee that no unnecessary congestion is created on their premises and that sufficient distance is maintained between customers and groups. Guests can still pick up their food and drinks at a service counter, for example.
Acceleration phase
In the future, stricter restrictions may be introduced for those provinces where the authorities assess that the epidemic has entered an acceleration phase. In those areas, bars, restaurants and pubs will have to close no later than 23:00 and the dispensing of alcohol will end at 22:00, the government said. In addition, no more than half of the maximum number of customers may be present in the interior premises of the establishment at the same time.
An expert assessment concerning the acceleration phase will be made on a weekly basis, and decisions on the restrictions will be made every two weeks.
In its negotiations, the government also discussed possible aid options for sectors whose operating conditions have been most affected by the coronavirus epidemic. The government says it will begin "urgent" preparations for the introduction of general temporary support measures for companies.
