Skip to content
  • Finnish Government
    • Prime Minister's Office
    • Ministry of Defence
    • Ministry of Transport and Communications
    • Ministry for Foreign Affairs
    • Ministry of Finance
    • Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
    • Ministry of Justice
    • Ministry of Education and Culture
    • Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
    • Ministry of the Interior
    • Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
    • Ministry of the Environment

Valitse kieli:

This page is in Finnish. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på finska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Dát siidu lea suomagillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

Язык этого сайта финский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Cette page est en finnois. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Finnisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on englanniksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

Choose language:

Den här sidan är på engelska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Язык этого сайта английский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Dát siidu lea eŋgelasgillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

Cette page est en anglais. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Englisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on ruotsiksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in Swedish. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Välj språk:

Язык этого сайта шведский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Dát siidu lea eŋgelasgillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

Cette page est en suédois. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Schwedisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on pohjois-saameksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in North Saami. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på nordsamiska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Язык этого сайта северосаамский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Vállje giela:

Cette page est en same du Nord. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Nordsamisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on venäjäksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in Russian. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på ryska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Dát siidu lea ruoššagillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

выберите язык:

Cette page est en russe. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Russisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on ranskaksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in French. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på franska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Dát siidu lea fránskkagillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

Язык этого сайта французский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Französisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on saksaksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in German. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på tyska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Язык этого сайта немецкий. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Cette page est en allemand. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

  • Valitse kieli Suomi
  • Välj språket Svenska
  • Select language English
  • Vállje giela Davvisámegiella
Media
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Navigation
  • Frontpage Frontpage
  • Areas of expertise
    • Promotion of welfare Health promotion, harm and crime prevention, environmentional health, inclusion
    • Social and health services Services, healthcare and social welfare system, wellbeing services counties, status of clients, personnel, pharmacotherapy
    • Income security Allowances and benefits, pensions
    • Insurance Insurance institutions, statutory insurance
    • Working life Occupational safety and health, wellbeing at work
    • Gender equality Gender equality policy, equal pay
    • EU and international cooperation EU, Nordic cooperation, WHO, UN, ILO
    • Preparedness Preparedness planning, Medical Helpline 116 117
  • Current issues
  • Columns
  • Projects and legislation
  • Publications
  • Ministry
  • Contact
  • Press releases
  • News
  • MSAH on social media
  • Statistics
  • Sign up for news
  • Service by publication
suomiLue artikkeli suomeksi svenskaLäs artikeln på svenska English

Government agrees to ease restrictions on gatherings, operations of food and beverage service businesses and visits to care institutions and hospitals

Government Communications DepartmentMinistry of Education and CultureMinistry of Social Affairs and Health
Publication date 17.6.2020 19.35 | Published in English on 17.6.2020 at 21.15
Type:Press release 435/2020

In its meeting on Wednesday 17 June, the Government heard an overview of all of the policies put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections and to protect vulnerable groups.

The Government also agreed to ease the restrictions as follows:

  • The Government recommends that as of 1 August 2020, if the development of the epidemic continues in the current direction without any significant setbacks, events with more than 500 persons may be organised in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Event organisers must ensure the safety of attendees by following the guidelines from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Ministry of Education and Culture concerning safe distances, hygiene practices and limiting the number of visitors, if necessary by dividing activities into smaller sections. Based on their discretion, the Regional State Administrative Agencies will make decisions on the matter in July for a maximum of one month at a time.
  • As a final dismantling measure, if the development of the epidemic continues without any significant setbacks, the restrictions on gatherings may be lifted altogether as of 1 October 2020, in which case all indoor and outdoor events would be permitted without restrictions on the number of attendees. The Government recommends that event organisers themselves continue to ensure compliance with the above-mentioned guidelines.
  • The Government will regularly review the guidelines for public events and public meetings based on the current situation and impact assessment at the national and regional level. If the development of the epidemic takes an unfavourable turn and if the assessment so requires, the plan for lifting the restrictions will be reviewed.     
  • The restrictions will remain in force until the end of July in line with the previous decisions of the Regional State Administrative Agency. Indoor and outdoor public events and public meetings with fewer than 50 attendees are allowed. It is always wise to comply with the hygiene guidelines. Internal and outdoor events with more than 50 but fewer than 500 attendees are permitted, provided that safety can be ensured by promoting good hygiene practices, maintaining safe distances and limiting the number of visitors as recommended by THL and the Ministry of Education and Culture. Outdoor events with more than 500 attendees are allowed with special separation arrangements.

Easing of restrictions on operations of food and beverage service businesses        

The Government also decided on easing the temporary restrictions on the operations of food and beverage service businesses. The Government will issue a decree on the matter on 18 June. The restrictions are based on the Communicable Diseases Act.

  • As of 22 June 2020, the decree will be amended so that food and beverage service businesses can open as of 4.00 and must close by 2.00 at the latest.
  • Alcohol sales can start at 9.00 at the earliest and must stop at 1.00 at the latest.
  • Buffets will be permitted again.
  • Three quarters of the number of persons permitted in the serving licence or building plan may be present in the indoor premises of a food and beverage service business at one time.
  • All customers must still have their own seat. In addition, food and beverage service businesses must arrange their indoor and outdoor furniture and serving practices so that customers will not be exposed to the spread of COVID-19. In particular, food and beverage service businesses must make sure that there is no unnecessary congestion in their premises and that customers and parties can enter the premises while maintaining a safe distance from one another.
  • Food and beverage service businesses must ensure that customers can wash or sanitise their hands upon arrival. Likewise, furniture, dishes, cutlery and other surfaces must be kept clean so that they do not pose a risk of spreading the disease. Food and beverage service businesses must have visible instructions on handwashing, maintaining safe distances and other practices in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Government agreed that the restrictions on food and beverage service businesses would be lifted as of 13 July. Even then, however, a seat must be reserved for each customer.

Government dismantles recommendation to avoid visits to hospitals

The Government has decided to dismantle the recommendation to avoid visits to hospitals. The lifting of the restriction concerns persons receiving hospital treatment in both specialised and primary healthcare.

However, a cautious approach must still be taken when arranging visits, using regional discretion, in line with other work to combat the spread of infectious disease during the epidemic.

The operating unit is responsible for the practical arrangements, such as the use of personal protective equipment and appropriate meeting places.

Units providing 24-hour care and treatment must provide their older clients and others belonging to risk groups with the opportunity to meet their loved ones safely, for example by ensuring adequate protection in an outdoor location or by arranging separate, protected meeting facilities.

The Government recommends that, as a general rule, access to the customer premises of units providing 24-hour care and treatment remain limited to the staff of the unit. The spread of the epidemic in housing units for people belonging to risk groups remains a significant risk.

The recommendation to avoid visits does not apply to persons providing essential services to the client, such as rehabilitation workers or personal assistants. The families of clients who are critically ill and clients in hospice care, and the support persons of clients in the maternity ward, should be given the opportunity to meet their loved ones safely.

Inquiries: Anita Lehikoinen, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Culture, firstname.lastname@okm.fi (gatherings); Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki, Strategic Director, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, firstname.lastname@stm.fi, and Taneli Puumalainen, Chief Physician, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, firstname.lastname@thl.fi (development of the epidemic); Ismo Tuominen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, viestinta@stm.fi (food and beverage service businesses)

Government roadmap for the gradual dismantling of the restrictions on gatheringsLink to an external website
Background on the Government’s restriction policies (summary table prepared before meeting) 17 June 2020Link to an external website
Memorandum: Visits to healthcare and social welfare units during the coronavirus epidemicLink to an external website
Proposal: Visits to healthcare and social welfare units during the coronavirus epidemicLink to an external website
Epidemiological progress report 17 June 2020Link to an external website
government
arranged events assemblies coronaviruses eating and drinking establishments eating and drinking establishments health informal cabinet meeting negotiations restaurants restrictions social affairs and health administration
Back to top
Ministry of Social Affairs and health
Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö
Social- och hälsovårdsministeriet

Meritullinkatu 8, 00170 Helsinki

PL 33, 00023 Government, Finland

Switchboard +358 295 16001

registry.stm(at)gov.fi 

About the site

Data Protection

Sitemap

Accessibility statement for the stm.fi website

Feedback

Search page
  • Frontpage
  • Areas of expertise
    • Promotion of welfare
      • Legislation
      • Health promotion
        • Fighting infectious disease
          • Fighting infectious disease: Responsibilities of the authorities
          • COVID-19 disease in Finland
            • Press releases about Coronavirus
          • Avian influenza
      • Promoting participation
        • Key areas of participation and inclusion
        • Roma policy
        • Immigrants' social security, welfare and health
      • Substance harm prevention
        • Alcohol policy
          • Alcohol Act
        • Drug policy
          • Narcotics control
        • Tobacco and nicotine policy
          • EU regulation and cooperation
          • Other authorities’ responsibilities
          • Actions to reduce the use
          • Interaction with the tobacco industry
        • Harm caused by gambling
          • Gambling Policy Programme
          • Assessment of risks associated with gambling
          • Parties responsible for gambling policy
          • Gambling system
      • Preventing violence and crime
        • Combating domestic and intimate partner violence
          • NAPE – Committee for Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
        • Combating trafficking in human beings
        • Mediation in criminal and civil cases
        • Violence against children and its prevention
        • Responsibilities in preventing domestic and family violence
      • Environmental health
        • Radiation protection
        • Chemical oversight
          • Cosmetic products
          • Tattoos
      • Advisory Board for Public Health
    • Social and health services
      • Legislation
        • Children, young people and families
        • Old people
        • Secondary use of health and social data
          • Frequently asked questions about the Act on Secondary Use of Health and Social Data
          • Amending the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data
      • Responsible agencies
        • Wellbeing services counties
          • Wellbeing services counties on the map
          • Guidance of the wellbeing services counties
          • Collaborative areas
        • Municipalities
        • Supervisory authorities
        • Private providers of health and social services
        • Centres of excellence on social welfare
        • Organisations and associations
      • Social services
        • Disability services
        • Child welfare
          • Frequently asked questions concerning child welfare in Finland
      • Health services
        • Primary health care
          • Screening
            • Prenatal screening
          • Vaccinations
            • HPV vaccinations
          • Maternity and child health clinics
          • School health care
          • Student health care
        • Occupational health care
        • Private health care
        • Mental health services
        • Services for substance abusers
        • Hospitals and specialised medical care
        • Urgent and emergency health services
        • Client and patient safety
        • Healthcare and social welfare for undocumented persons
        • Termination of pregnancy
      • Rehabilitation
      • Pharmacotherapy
        • Value chain for pharmacotherapy
        • Legislation, steering and supervision, cooperation
        • Safety of pharmacotherapy
        • Rational pharmacotherapy
          • Implementation of sensible pharmacotherapy
          • Information management
            • Digital services
      • Client and patient rights
      • Client fees
      • Social and health care personnel
      • Children, youth and families
        • Services to families
      • Older people services
        • Services and benefits
      • Social security and services of asylum seekers in Finland
        • Healthcare and social welfare for illegal residents
        • Health and social services for people arriving from Ukraine
      • Information management
    • Income security
      • Legislation
      • Financial assistance for families with children
      • Conscripts allowance
      • Housing allowance
      • Unemployment
      • Sickness and rehabilitation
      • Pensions
        • Earnings-related pension
        • National pension
        • Guarantee pension
        • Disability pension
        • Survivors’ pension
      • Front veterans
      • Social security for athletes, grant recipients and students
      • Social assistance
      • Social lending
      • Support and benefits
      • International social security
      • Appealing income security decisions
      • Occupational accidents and illnesses
    • Insurance
      • Legislation and oversight
      • Insurance institutions
      • Supervision of the insurance sector
      • Investing insurance contributions
      • Statutory insurance
      • Social insurance contribution
      • Insurance related appeals
    • Working life
      • Legislation
      • Posted workers
      • Generally applicable collective agreements
      • Occupational safety and health
      • Supervising OSH
        • European cooperation on market surveillance
        • Workplace harassment
        • Vera ICT System
      • Occupational health care and maintaining work ability
        • Value of lost labour input in Finland
      • Wellbeing at work
      • Equality in working life
      • Young people and work
      • Family life and work
      • Older workers
    • Gender equality
      • Legislation
      • Mainstreaming
      • Gender equality in working life
      • Equal pay
      • International cooperation
      • Responsible agencies
      • Projects on gender equality
    • EU and international cooperation
    • Preparedness
  • Current issues
    • Press releases
    • News
    • MSAH on social media
    • Statistics
      • Statistics on the promotion of welfare and health
      • Statistics on social welfare and health care services
      • Statistics on income
      • Statistics on insurance
      • Statistics on employment
      • Statistics on equality
      • International statistics
    • Sign up for news
    • Service by publication
  • Columns
  • Projects and legislation
    • National service reform
    • Defining the principles for service choices in healthcare and social welfare
    • Social security reform
      • General social security benefit
    • Mental health policy strategy
    • Child Strategy
      • Preparations for a National Child Strategy in 2018-2019
    • RDI Growth Programme for Health and Wellbeing
    • Reducing homelessness with better-targeted health and social services
    • Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland
    • The European Accessibility Act
    • Personalized medicine
      • Improving health through the use of genomic data
      • Overall project description
      • Genome Center
      • National Cancer Center
      • Biobank Operations
      • National neurocenter
      • Drug Development Centre
      • People and contact details
      • European ‘1+ Million Genomes’ Initiative
    • Sufficiency and availability of healthcare and social welfare personnel
    • National health and wellbeing programme Terveydeksi
    • Completed projects
  • Publications
  • Ministry
    • Task and objectives
    • Management and organisation
      • Minister of Social Affairs and Health
      • Minister of Social Security
      • Senior Civil Servants
      • Department for Steering of Healthcare and Social Welfare (OHO)
      • Department for Insurance and Social Security (SVO)
      • Department for Safety, Security and Health (TUTO)
      • Department for Communities and Functional Capacity (YTO)
        • YPA - personnel
      • Department for Clients and Services in Healthcare and Social Welfare (APO)
      • Department for Work and Gender Equality (TTO)
      • Strategic and Financial Management Unit (STAR)
      • Human Resources and Administration Unit (HEHA)
      • International Affairs Unit (KVY)
      • Communications Unit (VIE)
      • Responsibilities of ministers in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
    • Strategy
      • Economy of wellbeing
    • Administrative branch
    • Preparedness
      • Preparedness centres
      • Preparedness in the EU
      • Radiation accidents
      • Preparedness in Wellbeing Services Counties
      • Preparedness in wellbeing services counties
    • International cooperation
      • European Union
        • Preparation of EU affairs
      • Council of Europe
        • European Committee of Social Rights
      • United Nations
      • World Health Organization
        • WHO pandemic treaty
      • Global health security
      • Nordic cooperation
        • Finland's Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021
      • Northern Dimension
      • Barents cooperation
      • Arctic cooperation
      • International Labour Organization
      • OECD
    • Economy and activities
    • Forms
    • STEA grants
    • Expenditure
    • Advisory boards and commitees
    • The Ministry as a workplace
      • Working for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
      • Ministry personnel statistics
      • Principles of a safer space
      • Read more about jobs
    • Services
    • History
    • Whistleblower protection
  • Contact
    • Personnel search
    • E-invoice address
    • For media
    • Feedback
    • Data Protection
      • User's rights and requests for personal data
      • Information system descriptions
      • Publicity of documents and requests for information
      • Information on cookies on the website
    • Accessibility statement for the stm.fi website