The City of Helsinki Environmental Services will start inspections and monitoring activities connected to the changes made to the Communicable Diseases Act in week 10 starting on 8 March. The requirements related to the prevention of the spread of coronavirus have a wide-spread impact on private and public operators and the use of private and public spaces. The Regional State Administrative Agency remains in charge of monitoring restaurants in accordance with the Communicable Diseases Act.
Inspections will start in week 10 starting on 8 March in open premises, such as grocery stores, shopping malls and sports facilities. Going forward, inspections will also be carried out in other open premises where people gather.
Environmental and food inspectors will inspect hygiene practices and adherence to instructions concerning safe distances in connection with normal monitoring activities. In addition to this, inspections will also be carried out based on an epidemiological assessment and upon request by the Regional State Administrative Agency.
All customer premises must:
- provide customers with the opportunity to clean their hands either by washing or using hand sanitiser
- have sufficient hygiene instructions on display
- position any customer seating according to sufficient safe distances and otherwise arrange sufficiently spacious customer areas so that safe distances may be observed
- increase the cleaning of the premises and any surfaces.
In customer premises with more than 10 persons indoors and in customer premises with more than 50 persons outdoors, a decision issued by the Regional State Administrative Agency pursuant to section 58 d of the Communicable Diseases Act shall be complied with. According to the decision, customers must be guaranteed safety distances (2 meters) if they stay in the room for more than 15 minutes and physical contact is prohibited. More detailed information on which actors are affected by the decision can be found at: https://avi.fi/tiedote/-/tiedote/69901946(Link leads to external service). The relevant plan must be visible to customers.
Regional State Administrative Agencies have compiled questions and answers related to the requirements in the Communicable Diseases Act here (in Finnish): https://avi.fi/usein-kysyttya-koronaviruksesta(Link leads to external service). The Regional State Administrative Agency also maintains a COVID-19 service where you may request further information on the interpretation of the Communicable Diseases Act in terms of companies: koronainfo@avi.fi(Link opens default mail program), telephone number: +358 (0)295 016 666, Mon–Fri 8–11:30 am and 12:30–4 pm.
You can submit feedback on Communicable Diseases Act requirements applied to locations in Helsinki at: https://www.hel.fi/kaupunkiymparisto/en/feedback/feedback
