For the fourth straight day, Ukraine has identified a record-breaking number of new COVID-19 cases. On Aug. 8, the government decided to act.
At an extraordinary session, the Cabinet of Ministers ordered the creation of an effective system for tracing the contacts of people with COVID-19. The government also decided to temporarily close the de facto border with Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014, to foreign nationals.
In recent months, Ukraine has significantly increased its capacity to test for COVID-19, a key tool for fighting the spread of the disease. However, contact tracing has been limited.
The Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry for Digital Transformation will now set up a contact tracing system. The government decision comes after Ukraine registered 1,489 new COVID-19 cases on the morning of Aug. 8.
“These epidemiological investigations must be systematic, with strict control over the self-isolation (of contacts),” Denys Shmyhal wrote on Facebook. “This will allow us to respond more quickly and break the chain of infection.”
The Ministry of Digital Transformation has previously developed an app called Diy Vdoma, which is obligatory for Ukrainians and foreigners arriving into the country from places with high rates of COVID-19 infections. The app requires users to take selfies at home to prove that they are truly adhering to the 14-day self-isolation regime.
Those who have used the app in the past said it has multiple problems that occur even when the user is trying to follow the rules.
After multiple complaints, Shmyhal announced on June 26 that the government would allow people with negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19 to avoid self-isolation.
The test will have to be taken upon arrival in Ukraine or no more than 48 hours before arrival to the country.
As of Aug. 8, Ukraine has identified 79,750 cases of COVID-19 and 1,879 people have died from the virus. There are currently 34,216 active cases in the country.
Closing Crimea
During the same session, the government decided to close the border with Crimea to foreign nationals.
After Russia launched its war against Ukraine in February 2014, Ukraine was forced to construct a temporary border between the peninsula and mainland Ukraine. Starting from 8 a.m. on Aug. 9, that border will be closed for everyone except Ukrainian citizens and their close relatives.
The restriction will remain in place until Aug. 30. Those entering government-controlled Ukrainian territory will also be forced to download the Diy Vdoma app.
The official government statement notes that “foreigners may (still) be permitted to enter Crimea in agreement with the Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories.”
