Culture Minister Kurvinen apologizes for designating Tavastia and Pakkahuone as high-risk places

Minister of Science and Culture Antti Kurvinen (kesk) apologizes on Twitter to the rock club Tavastia in Helsinki and to the Pakkahuone concert venue in Tampere.

Kurvinen defended on Friday On MTV’s News Extract the government’s policy regarding event and restaurant restrictions and the underlying risk assessment table of the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

In the same program, Kurvinen cited Tavastia in the center of Helsinki and the Pakkahuone in Tampere as examples of premises where there is a high risk of coronavirus infection based on THL’s risk table.

The justification of the event restrictions on THL’s risk assessment table and the highlighting of individual facilities provoked strong criticism in cultural circles.

For example, the director of the event industry Maria Sahlsted and the Executive Director of Livefin ry, a music events and their organizers Jenna Lahtinen criticize In an interview with MTV on Monday designation of individual companies as high-risk facilities.

On Twitter, Kurvinen regrets that he used the Tavastia Club and Pakkahue as examples to describe THL’s risk table.

“There is no personal statement about the quality or responsibility of the places involved. Spreadsheet application. Both are iconic familiar gig venues that I know have done their best for health safety. I used examples that are familiar to viewers, ”Kurvinen writes.