Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Post has asked influential Ukrainians if they support the strict quarantine measures that have been imposed in the country — to different degrees — since March 12 to protect citizens from the spread of the novel coronavirus. Restaurants, shopping malls, schools, subways and other public places, as well as international and domestic flights and train routes, have been shut down until April.
Dmytro Shymkiv, chairman of pharmaceutical company Darnitsa (Oleg Petrasiuk)
“The experience of South Korea, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, and the U.S. proves that the primary measure we should take is to provide people with testing kits and restrict personal interactions – so-called social distancing. During the quarantine, we should focus on our main function and provide medicine for patients and hospitals, including those that help fight COVID-19. Taking into account the experience and practices of other countries as well as the reports and recommendations of the World Health Organization, we can achieve the main goal – to prevent the rapid spread of the infection. More cases may result in overloaded hospitals and disable the Ukrainian healthcare system from curing so many patients.”
Andriy Gerus, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada energy committee
“I support the quarantine: It is necessary to limit mass gatherings of people and other contacts that pose a threat to people’s lives. I especially support the quarantine for elderly people… because the disease has serious risks for them. Ukraine imposed quarantine measures in a timely manner. We saw the situation and consequences in European countries, where the quarantine was not introduced in time. There is an assumption that, after a few weeks, we will have thousands of sick people. Ukraine is taking these actions to avoid having over 100,000 people sick and to have fewer than 5,000 or 1,000 instead.”
Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, director-general of National Art and Culture Museum Complex Mystetskyi Arsenal (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
“I support the restrictions. We are in a situation when it is better to do more than to do less. The quarantine has changed the management of our team, though. Everyone has to learn how to work remotely, except for those whose physical presence is necessary. Our public activity has been most transformed. For instance, the exhibition we’ve been preparing for two years was postponed. Going online is also a great challenge as we are not sure whether ordinary people are ready to follow as much cultural content as is offered now. We will see the surge in reading and consumption of movies and TV shows, but I don’t know whether they want to join more abstract forms of art, which is work, not leisure.”
Sergey Chuikin, managing director at investment firm Concorde Capital
“It was just inevitable. Judging by what’s happening in the world, it would have been wrong not to impose the quarantine. But it’s also obvious that it harms the economy and business. It is hard to predict, but this crisis is fundamental – whole industries are stopping, people start working in a different way, and wages are being cut. The crisis will be global, and Ukraine will feel it. Local business needs support.”
Aleksandr Alba, co-founder of Ukrainian low-cost airline SkyUp (Volodymyr Petrov)
“Such a measure is unhealthy for business, it puts big pressure on it. It might be good only for several industries like grocery stores, pharmaceuticals, toilet paper manufacturers. But I support the quarantine and the president is absolutely right: I don’t want the coronavirus to spread at the same pace as in Europe. If it spreads like in Italy or Spain, then the recovery of business will be even more delayed. Tourism and aviation industries will suffer most, and I hope the state will support these sectors. My feeling is that the president and the government won’t leave businesses in trouble.”
Maryna Saprykina, director of the Corporate Social Responsibility Development Center
“Doctors say this is absolutely correct and it is a necessity because social distancing can reduce the pace at which the (virus) spreads. We should listen to doctors. Switzerland introduced quarantine a bit later, but it has already significantly reduced the spread of the virus. We’ve started to work remotely last week and now we understand the work can be done effectively online. This is a new reality and we have to be ready for it. Many businesses have already started teleworking and will do that until the fall – it certainly won’t last only for two weeks.”
Max Yakover, CEO of Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center (DMYTROVARZAR)
“The quarantine looks logical. As we do not have the necessary equipment to take care of everyone, it is important to postpone a greater outbreak. Alas, we do not understand the real statistics and it seems that official numbers do not correspond with reality. Another question is the effect on the economy. Here, we see many reasons to worry. We have to focus on the experience of other countries that were most affected by the pandemic.”
