Restaurants and coronavirus
Regional State Administrative Agencies' guidelines support restaurants in the implementation of the current restrictions.
7. Supervision
Section 58 (a) of the Communicable Diseases Act lays down the necessary restrictions on the operation of restaurants in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In addition, restaurants are required to comply with special hygiene requirements and to maintain a sufficient distance between customers. Each restaurant must draw up a plan on how it will fulfil these statutory obligations and restrictions. One central objective of the temporary restrictions is to develop operating models based on independent measures and plans in restaurant operations to prevent the spread of the infectious disease in restaurants when the restrictions are gradually alleviated.
The Regional State Administrative Agency, in whose jurisdiction the restaurant is located, supervises compliance with the obligations and restrictions laid down in section 58 (a). In addition to the Regional State Administrative Agencies, food control experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Food Authority and municipalities as well as alcohol control experts from Valvira have prepared for supervision and guidance. The main responsibility for combating infectious diseases lies at the local level, i.e. municipalities. Thus, municipal authorities bear the main responsibility for the guidance and advice of local facilities, including the adjustments required by the new changes on organising restaurant operations required by the Communicable Diseases Act. The role of the Regional State Administrative Agency is mainly to monitor and intervene in detected shortcomings and, on the other hand, to help local authorities interpret the new legislation.
Key points of supervision include sufficient distances between customers and the placement of seats by a table or similar surface, and the requirements related to hygiene and the plan referred to in section 58 of the Communicable Diseases Act.
In addition to their own food safety inspections, municipal food control services may also observe the operations of a restaurant and advise and instruct business owners on the operations referred to in section 58 (a) of the Communicable Diseases Act and, if necessary, report any shortcomings to the Regional State Administrative Agency.
If shortcomings or flaws are found in the compliance with obligations or restrictions, the Regional State Administrative Agency may issue the restaurant with an order to correct them. The order must include a time limit for taking the necessary measures. If the shortcomings have not been rectified within the given time or if obligations have been substantially violated, the Regional State Administrative Agency may order the restaurant to cease any service operations immediately and to be closed to customers for a maximum of one month. The decisions of the Regional State Administrative Agency can be implemented immediately despite any appeals.
The purpose of the supervision required by the regulation is that authorities can react efficiently and without delay with precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the infectious disease. The targets of supervision are selected on the grounds of assessed risk, based on reports from other authorities and citizens and the agency's observations.
If necessary, police must provide executive assistance at the request of the Regional State Administrative Agency in order to implement supervision and the closing of a restaurant.
Plan to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease among customers
The guidelines are valid until 30 June 2022.
These instructions have been drawn up in accordance with the Government Decree on temporarily restricting the operations of restaurants to prevent the spread of an infectious disease, issued under section 58 (a) of the Communicable Diseases Act.
These instructions do not replace a restaurant's other self-supervision plans. These premises will be subsequently referred to as restaurants.
The business owner of a restaurant is obligated to draw up a plan to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease among customers.
Restaurants must clearly inform their customers that no-one may enter the premises with symptoms matching coronavirus infection, such as coughing, throat pain, fever or shortness of breath.
The restaurant must ensure that:
- the customers have a clearly visible possibility to wash or disinfect their hands when arriving at the restaurant;
- any furniture, dishes, cutlery and other customer contact surfaces and objects are kept clean so that they do not create a risk of spreading the infectious disease;
- the customers have clearly visible instructions for cleaning their hands, for maintaining a safe distance to others, and other instructions for preventing the spreading of the infectious disease within the premises.
Restaurants must organise the structures and furniture of their indoor and outdoor facilities and determine customer service practices to ensure that customers are not exposed to the infectious disease.
Restaurants must ensure in particular that there is no unnecessary crowding in its premises and that the arrival of customers in the restaurant is carried out so that a sufficient distance between customers and groups is maintained.
Customers are taken in at any one time so that there is enough room in the customer premises (both indoors and outdoors).
The prevention of crowding must be taken into account (e.g. bar counters and washroom queues).
Plan content requirements:
- A description of the policies adopted by the restaurant in order to comply with the general obligations.
- A description of the indoors and outdoors premises of the restaurant and a description of the measures and instructions given to staff for implementing the other obligations laid down in section 58 (a) of the Communicable Diseases Act and supervising their implementation indoors and outdoors at the restaurant.
- Information on the person responsible for the implementation of the plan in the restaurant.
Information on the person responsible for the plan must be provided to customers on request.
NOTE: The person's name is not added to the plan visible to customers; the name is provided to customers only upon request.
The plan is considered to be visible to customers if its summary is visible to customers when they enter the restaurant and it states that customers have the right to see the plan upon request. The plan may be combined with self-supervision plans referred to in the Alcohol Act, the Food Act (23/2006) and the Tobacco Act (549/2016).
Customers must follow restaurant policies and instructions given by staff. If a customer does not comply, the restaurant staff have the right to remove the customer from the premises under the Act on accommodation and restaurant operations (308/2006, section 5).
The Regional State Administrative Agency supervises the compliance with requirements and restrictions. If shortcomings or flaws are found in the compliance with obligations or restrictions, the Regional State Administrative Agency may issue the restaurant with an order to correct them. The order must include a time limit for taking the necessary measures. If the shortcomings have not been rectified within the given time or if obligations have been substantially violated, the Regional State Administrative Agency may order the restaurant to cease any service operations immediately and to be closed to customers for a maximum of one month.