Cafés, restaurants and bars will be permitted to open, with certain limitations, on 1 June. However, the details of the conditions and the guidelines for reopening are still being ironed out.
Finland's leading daily, Helsingin Sanomat, reports that restaurateurs are worried that while the news of being able to reopen was welcomed, continuing uncertainty about what it will mean has left the sector unable to plan a restart of services
Joonas Keskinen, CEO of the Helsinki restaurant Ravintola Lasipalatsi, told the paper that he and other restaurant operators are now awaiting more detailed regulations on hygiene and restrictions on the number of clients.
Keskinen is also worried that tight restrictions on opening hours could hurt profitability.
"The hope is that authorities would not issue overly detailed and finalised instructions, but rather a clearly outlined framework to be independently implemented. Our sector needs the most flexible opening hours as possible," said Keskinen.
A similar message was heard from Timo Lappi, CEO of the Finnish Hospitality Association Mara. He stressed that there is wide variety in the types of operations in the sector and that overly rigid restrictions will distort competition. For example, if the government orders that restaurants maintain two metres distance between tables, small restaurants will be unable to comply. Lappi added that he also hopes that there will not be tight restrictions on serving alcohol.
"If there is a time-based ban on serving alcohol, dining restaurants will not be able to serve drinks with dinner. Bars and nightclubs will also be endangered," Lappi pointed out.
Ravintola Lasipalatsi CEO Joonas Keskinen called for the government to signal the public that it is all right to go to restaurants when they reopen.
"Government communication saying that, for instance, it is generally acceptable and safe to sit on a restaurant terrace, will have major importance," Keskinen told the paper.
Not all kids back to school
Finland’s classrooms will gradually reopen again on May 14, following school closures that started mid-March across the country to stem the spread of novel coronavirus.
However, for some children returning to the classroom may be a significant health risk.
The tabloid Ilta-Sanomat reports that HUS Helsinki University Hospital, in cooperation with the nation's other university hospitals, has issued a set of guidelines concerning children who may be especially at risk from the coronavirus and who are recommended to stay at home.
The at-risk groups fall into four categories. These are children with lung conditions, heart conditions, those with suppressed or compromised immunity, and those with neurological conditions affecting breathing and/or who are especially susceptible to infections.
According to HUS, the number of at-risk schoolchildren is less than one percent of all children of school age.
HUS also notes that children who do catch the novel coronavirus often have a mild symptoms and very rarely require hospitalisation.
It is advised that physicians treating children in risk groups evaluate whether the child, and possibly siblings should be kept home and not go back to school this month.
Interacting with the elderly
The Kuopio-based Savon Sanomat carries a report on new guidelines being formulated by the Minister of Social Affairs and Health on restrictions to be applied to contact with people over the age of 70, another generally at-risk portion of the population.
According to Savon Sanomat, the new rules will stipulate that meetings with over 70 year-olds should take place mainly out of doors, at a distance of no less than two metres and with attention to existing hygiene guidelines.
Satu Karppanen, an adviser at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health said that officials have recognised that restrictions on visitation at eldercare facilities have had a downside. She said that reduced social contact has caused problems for the mental and physical well being of some residents.
While restrictions will not be lifted, the new guidelines will make it easier for friends and family to visit the residents of eldercare homes.
Some facilities in Finland have already made plans to construct outdoors booths with plexiglass separating visitors from residents.
Gone phishing
Helsinki's Iltalehti reports on a warning issued this week by Finland's National Cyber Security Centre of a new Facebook scam aiming at hijacking user accounts.
According to the Cyber Security Centre, scammers are sending private Facebook messages that look to be from a friend, informing users that they have been tagged in a photograph, along with a link that purportedly gives access to the photo.
If clicked, the link then forwards one to a page asking for the user's login details before proceeding. Logging in provides the scammers with account access.
The Cyber Security Centre says not to click on the link. Anyone receiving this kind of private message is advised to get in touch with the individual that it is purportedly from to inform them that their account has likely been compromised.
The Centre further advises that all Facebook users to change passwords frequently and sign up for multi-factor authentication to prevent misuse of their accounts even by someone who may have the password.
