A full, six-week shutdown of restaurants ended in the areas worst affected by the coronavirus epidemic ended a couple of weeks ago.
At the same time, the government announced that further changes to the restrictions on restaurant and bar operations would be coming after the May Day holiday weekend.
According to Yle sources, decisions will be made this week to gradually ease restrictions the now in force.
How soon this will happen, and what restrictions are to be lifted, will be discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday. Preparations are in the hands of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
Following Wednesday's talks, the next step will be taken at a full government session on Thursday where it is expected that decisions will be made to lift or relax certain restrictions. At the earliest, these could possibly take effect on Friday 7 May.
Lighter restrictions on terraces?
At very least, the government this week will assess whether open-air terraces and dining restaurants could have longer opening hours, and longer hours for alcohol sales.
Extending service hours for open-air terraces largely depends on whether the risk of infection can be shown to be lower outdoors than indoors.
In addition to easing restrictions on opening hours, changes in the permitted number of customers are also being considered.
Restrictions on the number of customers do not apply to outdoor terraces, but in regions with the tightest restrictions in place, bars and pubs can take only a third of their normal maximum number of customers, and restaurants one-half. In regions with lighter restrictions, pubs can take half, and dining restaurants three-quarters of their maximum capacity.
An extension of the opening hours of dining restaurants for the whole of the country is being reviewed, but any decision will also take into consideration regional variations in rates of infection.
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health director Pasi Pohjola said that adjustments will be made mainly on the basis of assessments by the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) of the number of infections in hospital districts and the caseload handled by medical care facilities.
"Of course, for those areas where the situation has clearly improved, there may be an easing of restrictions," Pohjola said.
More flexibility
Restrictions in regions in the acceleration phase are being assessed with more flexibility than in regions where the pandemic is in the base or the community spreading phases.
Restrictions on opening hours in Satakunta and Ostrobothnia were changed last week to reflect that the rate of infection in those regions is at baseline level. East Savo and Kymenlaakso currently have stricter restrictions in place than the other hospital districts in the acceleration phase.
In Kanta-Häme, a "mid-level model" was introduced last week. This is an intermediate level to determine restrictions where dining restaurants close their doors at 8 pm and bars at 7 pm.
It was precisely restrictions in regions not in the community spreading stage that the government has said it will look at more closely and, if necessary, ease - or tighten.