Government prolongs quarantine till May 22 but eases some restrictions

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal. Photo: a video screenshot of the "112 Ukraine" YouTube channel

On May 4, 2020, the head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Denis Shmygal announced that quarantine would be prolonged till May 22, but some quarantine restrictions would be mitigated as early as May 11.

“Quarantine will be prolonged now till May 22. Then we will see how the pandemic will move in the world and how the incidence curve will fluctuate in Ukraine,” he said during an extraordinary meeting of the Ukrainian government, a video of which was published on the “112 Ukraine” YouTube channel.

Shmygal explained that the World Health Organization also extended the global emergency regime, and therefore Ukraine cannot afford to lift quarantine restrictions.

“In our decisions, we are guided exclusively by the data of our specialized experts – virologists, epidemiologists, clinical laboratory workers, and analysts of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences,” said the Prime Minister of Ukraine. “According to their calculations, the premature lifting of quarantine will mean thousands of new patients and thousands of new victims. This cannot be allowed.”

According to Shmygal, the government is primarily interested in starting enterprises as soon as possible, and therefore, from May 11, in those areas where there is no coronavirus outbreak, quarantine measures will begin to be eased. This is necessary so that business representatives can prepare for the correct exit from quarantine.

From May 11, they plan to open parks, squares, beauty salons, and shops.

In early May, the country has a peak incidence, but the situation is under control, we are approaching a plateau, the head of the Cabinet of Ministers added.

On April 20, Shmygal said that quarantine in Ukraine would be prolonged but mitigated.

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