Use of customer premises and facilities
Assembly restrictions (section 58 of the Communicable Diseases Act)
The restrictions imposed by the Regional State Administrative Agencies or the municipality apply to public events and general meetings. The Regional State Administrative Agency or a municipality may impose assembly restrictions under section 58 of the Communicable Diseases Act when this is necessary to prevent the spread of a generally dangerous communicable disease. Assembly restrictions limit the audience at public events and meetings.
When putting meeting restrictions in place, the Regional State Administrative Agency takes into account the guidance of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, statements by hospital districts on the regional case numbers, and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare's statement on the national case numbers.
If the event is a public event or meeting referred to in the Assembly Act, it is subject to assembly restrictions regardless of the venue.
- What public events, meetings and activities do assembly restrictions apply to?
- On what basis will the Regional State Administrative Agency decide on assembly restrictions?
- All frequently asked questions about public events and general meetings
Decision on safe distances (section 58 d of the Communicable Diseases Act)
A decision on safe distances enabled by the Communicable Diseases Act (section 58 d of the Communicable Diseases Act) may order that operators specified in the Act as well as some facilities used for exercise, sports or recreational activities must impose measures that enable actual compliance with safe distances in customer and business premises.
This means that customers, participants and groups must have the opportunity to avoid physical contact with each other and to maintain a distance of at least two metres from each other if they are indoors for more than 15 minutes. In facilities used for exercise, sports, entertainment and recreational activities, the decision must be followed regardless of the number of customers. In regards to other premises of operators, the decision must be followed if more than 10 persons are in an indoor space or more than 50 persons are in an outdoor space.
If a public event is organised in customer or business premises that is subject to a decision to effectively avoid close contact in accordance with the amendment to the Communicable Diseases Act, the organiser must comply with both the assembly restrictions and the space restrictions.
- Which operators and premises are subject to the decision on safe distances?
- When can the Regional State Administrative Agency make a decision on safe distances?
Closure decision (section 58 g of the Communicable Diseases Act)
The decision on closures (section 58 g of the Communicable Diseases Act) made possible by the Communicable Diseases Act applies to indoor facilities intended for exercise and sports activities or indoor and outdoor spaces intended for entertainment and recreational activities as listed in the Act.
At the moment, there are no Regional State Administrative Agency decisions in force on the safe use of facilities or the closure of certain customer and public facilities.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health recommends that operators should also keep their premises and the surfaces in them clean after the requirements laid down in the law no longer apply and ensure that customers and participants have an opportunity to clean their hands. Operators should ensure that customers can keep distance to each other when arriving and during their stay in the premises and that the infection risk is minimised.
Read more about the recommendations on hygienic measures:
The decision on the use of customer premises obliges operators referred to in the Communicable Diseases Act to arrange the use of the premises in such a way that the risk of infection that comes with close contact with customers and those engaged in the activities can be avoided. Such premises include premises open to the public or intended for the presence of a restricted customer or participant group, such as shops and gym facilities. Operators and premises are listed in more detail in the question Which operators and premises are subject to the decision on the use of customer premises?
The Regional State Administrative Agency may make a decision on the use of customer premises under section 58 d of the Communicable Diseases Act in several municipalities. The municipality may make a decision in its own area. The decision can be issued for a maximum of one month at a time.
Once a decision on the use of customer premises has been issued, the operator must consider measures that allow customers and participants to avoid close contacts.
The decision requires the operators to prepare a written plan of the measures that effectively avoid the risk of infection that comes with close contact. The premises cannot be used if it is not possible to arrange operations in such a way. More information in the question How do I make a written plan of the use of customer premises?
The Regional State Administrative Agency or the municipality can make a decision on the use of customer premises when the conditions listed in the Communicable Diseases Act are met.
Prerequisites are that in the area of the municipality or hospital district disease clusters are identified in the area whose chains of infection cannot be reliably traced and which pose a significant risk to the spread of new infections.
More information:
Under the Communicable Diseases Act, the following actors are obligated under a decision on the use of customer premises:
- private communities, foundations and other legal entities such as companies and associations
- private traders, such as companies
- local authorities and strategic partnerships,
- religious communities such as churches and parishes
- institutions governed by public law.
These operators must comply with the decision on the use of customer premises in premises that are open to the public or intended for the presence of a restricted customer or participant group if they are:
- indoor spaces where more than 10 customers or participants are at the same time
- restricted outdoor spaces where more than 50 customers or participants are at the same time and which are operated by the organiser at a given time.
All customers and persons participating in the activities are considered customers and participants, but not staff.
In certain premises, the decision must be followed regardless of the number of customers and participants. These include premises used for exercise, sports or recreational activities, i.e.:
- indoor spaces used for team sports, group exercise, contact sports and other similar sports or exercise
- gyms and other similar indoor exercise facilities
- public saunas and pool facilities for outdoor and indoor swimming pools, pool areas at spas and directly attached dressing rooms
- dance venues and premises used by choirs, recreational theatre and other similar group activities
- amusement and theme parks, funfairs and indoor spaces at zoos
- indoor playgrounds
- public areas in shopping centres, excluding retail business premises and facilities used for the provision of services, and access to them.
According to the Communicable Diseases Act, decisions on the use of customer premises do not apply to:
- activities of educational institutions
- activities in the scope of early childhood education and care
- activities related to professional sports
- activities in the scope of private or family life
- restaurants or other food service businesses.
The activities of restaurants are governed by section 58a of the Communicable Diseases Act and the Government Decrees on this. More information on restrictions on restaurants in the part Restaurants, cafés, bars and other food services.
More information:
The decision issued by the Regional State Administrative Agency on the use of customer premises obliges operators referred to in the Communicable Diseases Act to arrange the use of the premises in such a way that the risk of infection that comes with close contact with customers and those engaged in the activities can be avoided.
In other words, if the decision on the use of customer premises covers your operations, you must consider concrete measures that will ensure the safety in your premises. Implement the measures and write a plan for them as soon as possible after the decision has been notified.
The plan must be displayed in the premises so that the customers and participants can see it.
Below, you will find a plan template prepared by the Regional State Administrative Agency to help with the preparation of the plan. In addition to this, we have prepared guidelines that will help to realise the plan.
The Regional State Administrative Agency does not comment on individual plans, but provides general instructions. Therefore, do not send the plan to the Regional State Administrative Agency for approval.
Plan template:
Regional State Administrative Agency's form for a plan (pdf, English)
Aluehallintoviraston suunnitelmapohja (pdf, Finnish)
Regionförvaltningsverkets planeringsmall (pdf, Swedish)
Instructions for making a plan
The plan template of the Regional State Administrative Agency asks about measures that effectively avoid the risk of infection that comes with close contact with customers and those engaged in the activities. This can be achieved by either:
- limiting the number of customers
- arranging the seating, or
- in some other way that takes into account the special features of the operations.
The form is designed to be made available to customers, except for the personal data contained therein.
Take action in a way that is suitable for the features of your space, such as its size, possible fixed structures, location of customer seating, and normal customer activity in the space.
Further questions to help with the preparation of the plan:
- What are the principles of avoiding the risk of infection that comes with close contacts in premises of different sizes and types?
- How is customers' movement in the premises controlled (e.g. signs or stickers about safe distances)?
- How do you prevent crowding?
- Is it possible to stagger the access of customers or participants?
- What is a safe number of people and how can this number be controlled?
- Are there any special arrangements made at the premises or have protective structures (e.g. plexi glasses) been installed to reduce the risk of spreading the virus?
- How is the chance to wash hands arranged so that there is no crowding?
- Is it possible to enhance ventilation of the premise?
- Is it possible to recommend face masks for customers or participants?
- What other ways can be utilised, taking into account the special features of the activities?
- How will the customer numbers be restricted if other measures taken (customer seating, space arrangements or other means) are not sufficient?
More information:
- When can the Regional State Administrative Agency make a decision on the use of customer premises?
- Which operators and premises are subject to the decision on the use of customer premises?
Updated on 3.12.2021
The Regional State Administrative Agency can make a decision requiring the closure of certain customer and business premises for a maximum period of two weeks.
The decision on closures concerns operators responsible for the management of the premises used for exercise, sports, entertainment or recreational activities in the following premises:
- indoor spaces used for team sports, group exercise, contact sports and other similar sports or physical activity
- gyms and other similar indoor exercise facilities
- public saunas and pool facilities for outdoor and indoor swimming pools, pool areas at spas and directly attached dressing rooms
- dance venues and premises used by choirs, recreational theatre and other similar group activities
- amusement and theme parks, funfairs and indoor spaces at zoos
- indoor playgrounds
- public areas in shopping centres, excluding retail business premises and facilities used for the provision of services, and access to them.
The decision on closures applies to premises that are open to the public or intended for the presence of a restricted customer or participant group.
However, premises that have been ordered to close can still be used for
- recreational activities of children and young people born in 2008 and after
- statutory services, such as medical rehabilitation, physical education in schools and the organisation of corona vaccinations.
Closure decisions do not apply to:
- activities related to professional sports
- activities in the scope of private or family life
Examples of sports and recreational facilities in the scope of the closure decision:
- Gyms
- Group exercise facilities (e.g. spinning, aerobic or yoga facilities)
- Indoor spaces used for team sports (e.g. skating rinks, indoor football halls, volleyball halls)
- Climbing gyms
- Indoor spaces intended for contact sports, such as dojos, boxing gyms, tatamis, wrestling gyms etc.
- Ballrooms and outdoor dance stages
- Air domes that are used for team sports, group exercise, contact sports or other similar sports.
- Badminton, padel, squash, tennis, etc. fields (indoor playing fields)
- Facilities used for group recreational activities, e.g. choirs, recreational theatre
Examples of sports and recreational facilities not covered by the closure decision:
- Indoor riding arenas
- Shooting and archery ranges
- Bowling alleys
- Indoor golf courses and golf simulators
- Pool/billiard rooms
- Karting tracks
- Dog agility courses
- Escape room games
- Indoor skateparks
How sports facilities affected by closures are defined
The Communicable Diseases Act (section 58 g) orders the closure of indoor spaces used for exercise and sports activities that can be used for team sports, group exercise, contact sports and other similar sports or exercise. In addition, indoor spaces under the closure decision are exercise and sports facilities comparable to gym facilities. Sports facilities covered by the closure decision are examined through this definition.
The Regional State Administrative Agency considers that e.g. horseback riding is a sport and indoor riding arenas are indoor spaces intended for exercise, but riding arenas cannot be considered comparable to gyms or other indoor spaces used for sports or exercise as referred to in the Act. The same applies to indoor spaces used for such purposes as bowling, archery or billiards.
What counts as group exercise?
Group exercise is where a group is instructed simultaneously in a shared activity. For example, various sports classes and water gym classes are considered group exercise. An example of a situation that does not constitute group exercise is where a few individual swimmers do individual exercises under the guidance of a shared instructor. Meditation that does not involve physical activity is also excluded from the decision to close premises. Group exercise is prohibited in the premises covered by the closure decision regardless of the type of the facility.
Temporary closure of customer and business premises (section 58 g of the Communicable Diseases Act) is the last resort. Facilities can be closed for a maximum of two weeks at a time. The closure of the premises applies to certain customer and business premises. More information: Which operators or premises fall under the scope of decisions on closures under the Communicable Diseases Act?
A decision on the temporary closure of premises may only be made if the following conditions are met:
- the incidence of infections detected during the last 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants is at least 50 in the hospital district and
- disease clusters are identified in the area whose chains of infection cannot be reliably traced and which pose a significant risk to the spread of new infections, and
- the number of infections in the area is estimated to lead to overwhelming the social welfare and health care system.
In addition, another prerequisite is that other measures already taken to prevent the spread of the virus cannot be considered sufficient and the closure of the premises is necessary to prevent the uncontrollable spread of the coronavirus.
The decision to temporarily close premises obliges all the companies and operators responsible for the management of the premises mentioned in the decision.
Ordering the closure of premises as a result of non-compliance
The Regional State Administrative Agency or the municipality may issue an order concerning an individual operator or premises to suspend operations and close the premises for a maximum period of one month if shortcomings in their operations have been identified.
Before issuing an order to suspend operations and close the premises, the operator shall be given an order to remedy the deficiencies and shortcomings within a reasonable time limit.
You can apply for compensation for closures from the State Treasury. The Regional State Administrative Agency does not accept or process compensation applications.
More information:
Recommendation of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on measures to prevent the spread of infections in restaurants, public events and passenger transport
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health recommends that operators should also keep their premises and the surfaces in them clean after the requirements laid down in the law no longer apply and ensure that customers and participants have an opportunity to clean their hands. Operators should ensure that customers can keep distance to each other when arriving and during their stay in the premises and that the infection risk is minimised.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health urges customers, participants and operators to act in accordance with the latest guidelines on preventing COVID-19 infections issued by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health recommends that municipalities, joint municipal authorities and supervisory authorities also instruct private operators to act in accordance with these hygienic guidelines.
Section 58 c of the Communicable Diseases Act defines certain hygiene requirements that apply to a wide variety of customer and business premises. The parties listed below must take these hygiene requirements into account in their activities without a separate decision by the authorities.
Hygiene requirements apply to:
- private associations, foundations and other legal entities (excluding restaurants)
- private traders
- local authorities and strategic partnerships
- religious communities
- institutions governed by public law.
These operators must follow hygiene requirements in indoor spaces open to the public or intended for the presence of a restricted customer or participant group, as well as in outdoor areas that have been defined by area and activity, in other words spaces
- where the number of persons usually varies,
- which are open to customers and participants during given opening hours,
- the use of which is based, for example, on membership or other contractual relationship, or
- the use of which is based on the provision of a statutory service, such as schools and early childhood education and care.
These include different business facilities, lobby and waiting spaces, teaching facilities, recreational facilities, gyms, other sports facilities, etc.
A regionally and functionally limited outdoor space means that the space is used at a given time for a specific purpose for customers or other participants, and the organiser is responsible for using the area in question for the activities in question. These include different outdoor stands and bleachers, amusement parks, festival areas or waiting areas.
The hygiene requirements of the Communicable Diseases Act do not apply to premises when used for private or family activities. However, we also recommend taking into account general hygiene guidelines.
You can ask your municipality for further instructions on how to implement hygiene requirements.
More information:
Different restrictions apply to restaurants and event, sport and culture sectors as they are subject to different laws. Below, we have described the background to different restrictions.
Restaurant restrictions are decided by Parliament and the Government on the basis of the Constitution. The temporary section 3 a of the Act on Accommodation and Restaurant Operations, on the basis of which the Government has been able to issue decrees on the closure of restaurants, is no longer valid after 18 April. From 19 April onwards, the safe operation of restaurants will be guided by restrictions on, for example, alcohol serving and opening hours. More information: What restrictions on restaurant activities apply in different areas?
Events of the event, sports and culture sector are public events under the Assembly Act. The Regional State Administrative Agencies make assembly restrictions under section 58 of the Communicable Diseases Act.
Assembly restrictions apply to all public events. Assembly restrictions are based on the infection numbers of the entire region, not on the numbers of an individual public event or premises. We receive regional information from hospital districts and corona coordination groups. More information: On what basis will the Regional State Administrative Agency decide on assembly restrictions?
Private customer and business premises, such as gyms, can be closed on the basis of section 58 g of the Communicable Diseases Act. Which customer and business premises may or may not be open are defined in that section. The Act also contains detailed requirements on when the Regional State Administrative Agency must close the premises. Closure decisions are based on the infection numbers of the entire region, not on the numbers of individual spaces like gyms. More information: When can the Regional State Administrative Agency or the municipality make a closure decision?
Municipalities have the possibility to close their own public premises or issue assembly restrictions on their own area which are stricter than the Regional State Administrative Agency's decision on the entire region. Municipalities may also close private premises in their area in accordance with section 58 g of the Communicable Diseases Act. In addition, municipalities may make recommendations.