Ukrainians continue to support the government’s strict quarantine measures to counteract the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, despite losing income and savings every day, according to two new polls.
On April 22, the government ruled to extend the quarantine measures until May 11, keeping most businesses closed and also banning non-essential travel.
According to an April 28 poll by the Rating Group sociological agency, 61% of Ukrainians support the current government measures. Additionally, 16% feel that the current quarantine is too soft and must be strengthened.
A separate poll, published a day earlier by the Research and Branding Group, showed that 78% of Ukrainians support strict quarantine measures. However, 51% of those polled said that their income has decreased since the quarantine was introduced.
The Ukrainian government introduced the first quarantine measures on March 12 and gradually added restrictions in early April.
As of April 28, 200,000 people have died of COVID-19 worldwide, including 239 in Ukraine.
The Rating Group’s poll was conducted three days after the quarantine was prolonged, while the Research and Branding Group poll was carried out during the week when the decision was made.
What Ukrainians think
According to the Rating Group poll, Ukrainians believe that the worst of the pandemic is not behind them.
Forty-three percent of Ukrainians feel that the situation with coronavirus in Ukraine is getting worse. Only 15% think otherwise.
According to the Research and Branding Group poll, 90% of respondents say they always wear a protective mask outside and 71% say they don’t leave their house for non-essential reasons.
However, Ukrainians were divided on the possibility of quarantine measures being put in place indefinitely. According to the poll, 52% said they were largely ready for that, while 42% said they weren’t.
Asked when the quarantine should be lifted, 29% said two weeks after the last patient is diagnosed with COVID-19. Thirty-five percent said only after the number of new infections is in the single digits.
Just 4% said that quarantine should only be loosened after a vaccine is found.
Such drastic findings show that most Ukrainians are ready to wait longer for the restrictions to be fully lifted.
According to Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, Ukraine will loosen the current quarantine measures only when the number of newly registered cases decreases substantially.
On April 22, he said that would mean that, for at least 10 days, the number of newly diagnosed cases out of all people tested would not grow by more than 5%.
Read More: Ukraine outlines plan to end quarantine
Side effects
While they may help fight the spread of COVID-19, the quarantine measures are also hurting Ukrainians. According to the Research and Branding Group poll, 39% of Ukrainians currently face financial difficulties. That number has increased by 9% since a similar poll was conducted in early April.
Additionally, 46% of respondents said that they don’t have any savings, while 13 % said that, since the introduction of quarantine, they have had problems paying their utility bills.
During an interview with the RBC news outlet on April 22, Shmygal said that, while officially there are 400,000 people unemployed, the government projects the real number to be around 2 million, if one includes people who temporarily lost or will lose their jobs due to the global pandemic.
Ukraine’s officially employed workforce stands at just over 10 million people, according to the pension fund. Many other Ukrainians are employed in the so-called shadow economy.
The Research and Branding Group asked Ukrainians to name the exact sum of money their family needs to survive an additional month of quarantine. According to the poll, Ukrainians under the age of 29 need on average Hr 10,925 ($405), while those over 50 require Hr 7,616 ($282).
The numbers also substantially differ depending on their place of residence. Residents of regional capitals require $415 on average, while residents of villages require $290 a month.
According to Ukraine’s finance ministry, the average wage in the country as of February is Hr 10,847 ($400).
Overall, Ukrainians have grown more used to the temporary restrictions. According to the same poll, 38% of Ukrainians said they are hopeful, and 26% said they feel optimistic about the future.
Both numbers have increased since a similar poll conducted in early April. Back then, 38% felt anxious. Now, only 31% of Ukrainians are experiencing anxiety.
