Kyiv tightens restrictions on public life starting March 25

As the novel coronavirus spreads in Ukraine, with six new cases identified in Kyiv overnight on March 21, authorities in the capital are introducing tough measures to halt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Starting March 25, people must maintain a distance of no more than one person per 10 square meters in supermarkets and pharmacies, the Kyiv city council announced in a statement on March 21. 

The new rules also ban the use of playgrounds and outdoor sporting facilities in parks, squares and near apartment buildings starting March 21. The new rules will be in effect until the situation improves, according to the statement. 

According to the statement, some Hr 23 million should be allocated to disinfect apartment buildings in Kyiv. 

The capital will halt access to public transportation for non-critical personnel starting on March 23, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko announced on March 21. Such restrictions do not apply for personal transport, the Kyiv mayor said.

Ukraine has already shut down subways in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro – the only three cities with metro systems. It also banned domestic public transport between cities.

Moreover, restaurants, bars, gyms, salons, and shopping malls are closed, along with schools.

Arsen Avakov, Ukraine’s interior minister, also wrote in a Facebook post that nationwide restrictions will become even tougher in the coming days and express support for the “total” quarantine in the country. 

Since the infection started spreading throughout Ukraine, six oblasts – Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Dnipro – have declared an emergency.