Ministers emerged from drawn-out negotiations late on Tuesday night to announce a raft of new restrictions aimed at dampening down a surge in Covid cases as the Omicron variant moves in across the country.
Bars and restaurants will have to close at 10pm from Christmas eve, and those that don't serve food will have to shut at 6pm from 28 December. They will be asked to stop serving alcohol an hour earlier.
Restaurants focused on food will be allowed to open until 8pm, with reduced capacities.
These rules apply to areas in the 'community transmission' phase. That is every hospital district in the country except North Savo, North Karelia, Kainuu and East Savo.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) also said that Finland will also start asking passengers from Schengen-area countries, in a stark break with the rules of the European free travel area. The tests will have to be less than 48 hours old.
Covid passes will remain valid for the time being, but only in 'low-risk' situations.
Schools, meanwhile, will remain in contact teaching — but ministers urged local authorities to ask pupils and teachers to wear face masks.
On Tuesday afternoon Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) had said that she expected the talks would still take some time.
Marin said that she has not ruled out any options to curb the spread of the virus, adding that the government will extensively discuss regional and national measures, including ones related to the tourism and restaurant sectors.
The PM said that the government was also discussing the possibility of revoking use of Covid passes.
On arrival at the talks, Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko (Cen) said the government needed to "act now."
In addition to various coronavirus-related restrictions, Saarikko also emphasised the importance of accelerating the distribution of booster vaccines.
Regarding possible restrictions, Saarikko said she hoped that the government will take the daily lives of children and young people into consideration as much as possible.
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Yle's sources in the government parties said on Tuesday afternoon that there was agreement within the governing coalition on the need for tighter restrictions on restaurants and on suspending the Covid pass regime on a temporary basis.
The details of restrictions on bars and restaurants were yet to be finalised, as of Tuesday afternoon.
The new rules would come into effect after Christmas and remain in force for three weeks, according to Yle's information.
Covid pass rethink
Ahead of the meeting Markku Tervahauta, Director of the National Institute for Health and Welfare THL, confirmed that his agency was recommending the Covid pass exemption for events and restaurants should be suspended.
The current rules mean that in regions where restrictions are in place, pubs have to close early and events are restricted to smaller crowd numbers — unless they demand a Covid pass from customers.
Tervahauta said THL has told the government it's time to reconsider that exemption, effectively bringing in much broader restrictions on daily life.
Covid tests from Schengen travellers?
Lapland's Chief Physician for Infectious Diseases Markku Broas, meanwhile, told Yle that he wanted to see border guards demand pre-departure Covid tests from passengers arriving from Schengen-area countries.
At present Finland is asking for pre-departure tests if a passenger arrives from a non-Schengen country, but not for those travelling from within the EU's common travel area.
Broas told Yle that between 10 to 15 percent of Lapland's Covid cases were foreign tourists.
Calls for action
On Monday a group of specialist physicians called on the government to take strong action to reduce caseloads, as Finland had some 63 patients in intensive care.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Sanna Marin said over the weekend that Finland could decide to extend school holidays to try and prevent further spread of the epidemic in educational institutions.
Updated on 21.12.2021 at 17:18 to add ministers' comments.