Shmygal: Quarantine may be extended until July

Ukraine’s quarantine to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus may be further extended for another two months until July, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told Ukrainian Radio on May 5.

“The Cabinet of Ministers has so far extended the quarantine until May 22, but, most likely, based on World Health Organization data, the quarantine will be extended in the future (but) with further stages of loosening (restrictions) should the situation in the country allow it,” Shmygal said.

The prime minister’s comments came after the government decided on May 4 to prolong the quarantine until May 22.

The daily number of new cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine hasn’t flat-lined yet. As of May 5, Ukraine had nearly 12,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases; 316 people have died and 1,875 have recovered from the disease.

However, despite the prolongation of the quarantine, some restrictions will be eased starting on May 11 to help local businesses survive, Shmygal said during a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on May 4.

From May 11, the following public places and enterprises will be opened:

• parks, recreation areas;
• beauty salons, hairdressers;
• museums, libraries;
• summer terraces and takeout service at cafes and restaurants;
• shopping malls (partly, as the entertainment facilities and food courts will remain closed);
• dental clinics;
• auditors, attorneys, notaries;
• service centers for household appliances;
• domestic services like dry cleaning, clothing and shoe repair shops.

Most public transportation in cities, intercity trains and foreign air travel, as well as indoor cafes and restaurants, schools and universities will remain closed. National border checkpoints will remain closed; only Ukrainians returning home will be able to cross them.

Food markets 

Some quarantine restrictions have already been lifted. On May 5, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that three food bazaars had opened in the capital.

On April 29, the Ukrainian government allowed these markets to reopen under strict sanitary requirements, such as ensuring regular disinfection and social distancing between visitors and sellers. However, the Kyiv City Administration initially said that none of the city’s bazaars were ready to meet these requirements.

The decision to lift the restriction on bazaars came after a wave of protests in several cities by frustrated farmers and entrepreneurs, who said they had to throw away rotting produce or sell it for cheap while supermarkets were making profits on the same foodstuffs.

Ordinary citizens, including those who had lost jobs or income due to the lockdown, also complained about the absence of open food markets, where some groceries are less expensive than in supermarket chains.

Pressure from businesses

The government’s May 4 decision to ease restrictions also came amid pressure from small business and restaurant owners, who alleged that the authorities gave preferential treatment to large companies while preventing small businesses from operating.

On May 2, nearly 100 restaurant owners and other protesters set up tables and served food outside the President’s Office building during a rally organized to demand the government allow restaurants in Ukraine to resume table service at outdoor terraces during the quarantine.

Earlier, on April 29, several hundred small business owners gathered outside the Cabinet of Ministers building, demanding more government support, equal working conditions for all companies, and an easing of Ukraine’s coronavirus lockdown.