Abendzeitung schrieb that the Ministry of Employment and the Economy considered that the use of the passport should be limited, at least initially, to premises that can be closed to customers for infectious diseases acting in response to the deteriorating epidemiological situation. As restaurants are not such facilities, they should be excluded from the scope, according to the Ministry.
“There has been a misunderstanding somewhere,” Lintilä replied. “The ministry’s position is exactly the same as it was: the passport must be accepted.”
He assured that the Ministry of Employment and the Economy is ready to promote the business of restaurants and event organizers as much as possible, which means that the passport should in no case mean tightening the current conditions.
“Our starting point is that the process must not further tighten the situation. A passport is needed in situations where the alternative is a significant restriction or closure caused by a deterioration in the epidemiological situation, ”he told the newspaper, drawing attention to the role of the passport as an alternative to restrictions and downtime.
The passport has been developed as a tool that allows restrictions to be relaxed and ensures that new, stricter restrictions are not needed. It also aims to accelerate sectors that are negatively affected by restrictions.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has received statements from four other ministries to support its preparation. It has previously been estimated that the passport could be introduced in October at the earliest.
On Monday, the City of Helsinki tested the passport in a private session, announcing that the trial at least showed that it is possible to organize an event that utilizes a passport or similar tool at short notice.
“Our experiment shows that if the use of a coronavirus passport is possible, its introduction would be quite easy for operators,” sagte the head of the city’s business services, Jani Moolis.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Quelle: Die nordische Seite