Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) presented the government's plan for the gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions and recommendation at a plenary session of Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.
Measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus will be phased out as per the government's previously-published exit strategy.
On Tuesday, the government had announced the end of the use of the Emergency Powers Act, which had been introduced at the beginning of March to deal with the escalating coronavirus situation.
According to the government's Covid exit strategy, hobby activities for young people will begin again in April and May, as the pandemic situation allows, while adults will be permitted to take part in group hobby activities outdoors during June and July, and then possibly indoors in August at the earliest.
Finland's border entry restrictions will be gradually relaxed from May, and Europe-wide "coronavirus passports" may be introduced as early as the end of June.
Marin told Parliament that restrictions can be lifted earlier than planned if the pandemic situation improves faster than projected in the government's plan. She also said that restrictions may need to be extended, reinstated or re-tightened if the situation worsens in certain regions.
"The government will monitor the situation regularly throughout the summer, and will be ready to react quickly to changes in the situation if necessary. For example, it is possible that by the end of August, the number of infections may gradually increase as social contacts increase, especially in educational institutions and workplaces," Marin said, adding that the government will revise and evaluate the conditions and target schedules for lifting the restrictions every two weeks.
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Opposition parties criticise strategy
Opposition parties criticised the government's planned border strategy, arguing during Wednesday's plenary session that increased cross-border traffic also raises the risk that more contagious coronavirus variants could arrive in Finland.
"As traffic volumes increase, the Indian variant of the virus is certain to arrive in Finland unless we have good policies in place at the borders," National Coalition Party MP Mia Laiho said.
In response to the opposition party criticisms, Social Services Minister Krista Kiuru (SDP) said the government is currently preparing an updated Covid border security model for submission to Parliament.
"We are once again preparing a new model, a legislative model for this test certificate, and we would like to finally be able to bring it here [to Parliament]. We also hope that the assessment of fundamental rights will be such that it will come here," Kiuru said.
A previous draft was rejected by Parliament's Constitutional Law Committee last October as it was considered to be incomplete, especially from the perspective of citizens’ fundamental rights.
In her closing speech to Wednesday's session, Prime Minister Marin said that Finland needs reformed pandemic legislation, and that opposition parties as well as the government should be involved in its preparation.