Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses to be eased in the Hospital District of Länsi-Pohja and the regions of South Karelia and Southwest Finland from 4 June

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

3.6.2021 13.57

Press release 153/2021

The Government has amended the decree restricting the activities of restaurants and other food and beverage service businesses due to the COVID-19 epidemic. This means that the region of South Karelia and the Hospital District of Länsi-Pohja can now move from restrictions for the acceleration phase to baseline restrictions and the region of Southwest Finland can move from restrictions for the community transmission phase to acceleration phase restrictions. The amendment to the decree will enter into force on 4 June at 00.00.

The restrictions in place in other areas will remain unchanged.

Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in baseline areas in the regions of Åland, South Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, North Ostrobothnia, North Savo, North Karelia, Central Finland, South Savo, Ostrobothnia, Satakunta and South Karelia and the whole of Lapland from 4 June

Food and beverage service businesses may serve alcoholic beverages between 7.00 and 00.00 and be open to customers between 5.00 and 1.00.

Restaurants that primarily serve alcoholic beverages may have in use half the normal number of customer seats in indoor premises. Other restaurants may seat 75 per cent of their normal number of customers inside their establishments. The restrictions on the number of customer seats do not apply in Åland.

In these areas, restaurants must also instruct customers to stay seated in indoor premises. This means that dancing and karaoke, for example, are prohibited in indoor premises.

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

Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in areas in the acceleration phase in the regions of Southwest Finland, Kymenlaakso and Pirkanmaa from 4 June

Food and beverage service businesses may serve alcoholic beverages between 7.00 and 22.00 and be open between 5.00 and 23.00.

In these areas, restaurants must also instruct customers to stay seated in indoor premises. This means that dancing and karaoke, for example, are prohibited in indoor premises.

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

Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in areas in the community transmission phase in the regions of Päijät-Häme, Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme and Central Ostrobothnia from 4 June

Restaurants that primarily serve alcoholic beverages may serve alcohol between 7.00 and 18.00.

They may be open between 5.00 and 19.00. They may have in use half the normal number of customer seats in indoor premises.

Other restaurants may serve alcoholic beverages between 7.00 and 19.00 and be open between 5.00 and 20.00. They may have in use 75 per cent of their normal number of customer seats in indoor premises.

The restaurants located in these areas must also instruct customers to stay seated in indoor premises. This means that dancing and karaoke, for example, are prohibited.

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

Exceptions to restrictions remain unchanged

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 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 for liquid fuels.

Inquiries:

Ismo Tuominen, Senior Ministerial Adviser firstname.lastname@stm.fi