Anti-epidemic measures upend education, sports, entertainment events in Kyiv

The novel coronavirus has already hit Ukraine’s business and travel sectors. Now that the government has canceled cultural and sporting events, closed educational institutions and suspended concerts, the epidemic threatens to derail much of daily life in Kyiv.

Kyiv has closed schools and banned mass gatherings of more than 200 people, including concerts, conferences and film screenings, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on March 11. The ban will last for three weeks, from March 12 to April 3.

According to the government, these anti-epidemic measures will help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which has already killed 4,600 people globally.

“Although no cases of the coronavirus disease have been reported in Kyiv yet, we have decided not to wait and to protect residents of the city,” Klitschko said.

Universities and schools

The coronavirus outbreak will disrupt the education process, as students stay home, universities postpone exams, and academic mobility programs – when teachers or students go abroad to study – come to a halt.

For a three-week period, schools and universities will try to move their classes online or modify their course syllabi to continue studies after the quarantine. All major tests and competitions like Olympiads have also been postponed until later in the year.

Authorities have also recommended that students move out of their dormitories for the three weeks.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of the Kyiv City Council on March 11, Deputy Mayor Mykola Povoroznyk contradicted the official statement, saying that these are “precautionary measures” and nobody should call them a “quarantine.”

Cinemas and theaters

The COVID-19 epidemic has also hit the entertainment industry.

Kyiv’s largest cinemas — Planeta Kino, IMAX, Multiplex and Oskar — have all told the Kyiv Post that they are prepared to close or at least restrict the number of daily screenings.

The Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater in Kyiv has also decided to postpone performances and has already canceled its annual tours.

Additionally, Kyiv authorities have announced they will send medical workers to the city’s shopping malls to monitor people’s health there.

“Starting on March 12, medical staff will work in every shopping center, giving medical check-ups and taking temperatures,” said Oleg Ruban, the deputy head of the State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection. The medical workers will pay close attention to those who cough and sneeze, he added.

Economic experts are already predicting that the disruption of the entertainment sector will have far-reaching consequences for Ukraine’s economy. Globally, for example, the price of entertainment companies’ stocks has already dropped by 57% on average in a month and is now approaching its lowest point during 2019.

“The introduction of these drastic measures will limit budget revenues and increase public discontent,” Volodymyr Kurpita, head of state the health-monitoring body Center for Public Health, told the Kyiv Post.

Church and parliament

The restrictive measures in Kyiv won’t affect events and services of state importance such as parliament sessions and public transportation, according to Klitschko.

However, David Arakhamia, head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, said that the work of the Verkhovna Rada could be suspended should one of the 424 lawmakers be infected with the novel coronavirus. Arakhamia said he is concerned about the “exotic trips” of certain lawmakers.

One lawmaker, Oleg Voloshyn, already went into voluntary home quarantine after a French lawmaker with whom he had met a week earlier was diagnosed with COVID-19. So far, Voloshyn has shown no symptoms of the illness, and his quarantine is set to end on March 12.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s former Cabinet Minister Dmytro Dubilet wrote that lawmakers should consider having online video calls in case offline parliamentary sessions are suspended. Dubilet claims he submitted a bill to allow such meetings several months ago “without thinking of the quarantine.”

Among other things, the Kyiv City Council has recommended suspending mass church services, while sporting events such as soccer matches can take place as long as there are no spectators.

Definition and punishment

Although Prime Minister Denys Shmygal announced a nationwide quarantine on March 11, there remains a risk that some organizers will continue to hold events. The problem is that Ukrainian legislation does not define “mass gatherings” clearly.

Lawyer Vladislav Vlasyuk says he is sure the private sector can easily abuse the quarantine.

In a public statement on March 12, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that organizations and institutions that refuse to comply with anti-epidemic measures will be prosecuted. He did not specify how or under which laws.

“It’s about the safety and health of the city’s residents,” Klitschko said.

In a March 12 Facebook post, Mykhailo Apostol, an advisor to Ukraine’s interior minister, called on Ukrainians to follow the rules of the quarantine. Those who violate the quarantine can face fines and up to three years in prison, he said. Should the violation lead to “serious consequences,” they could face five to eight years behind bars.

“The main thing here is people taking responsibility and being understanding, because the lives and health of our citizens depend on your actions or lack thereof,” he wrote. “In case the restrictions aren’t followed, law enforcement will receive signals from citizens and react to them.”