As Ukraine heads toward its eighth week of quarantine, calls to ease restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 are growing louder. But the government says it’s still too early.
The first measures will only be relaxed after May 11, and it will depend on the infection rate, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on April 29.
Shmygal’s comments came as several hundred protesters blocked the road in front of the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv. They demanded that the government allow small businesses to reopen starting May 1 on the condition that they comply with sanitary and social distancing requirements.
Entrepreneurs have accused the government of discrimination since some large and well-connected stores and restaurants continue to operate.
As of April 29, Ukraine had over 9,800 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 250 deaths.
Speaking at a Cabinet session, Shmygal said that the government had received many appeals for easing the quarantine, but that this would happen according to the government’s five-stage plan and only if the number of coronavirus infections in the country declines.
“The fact that we have fewer infected people compared to other countries is the result of the quarantine and your compliance with those measures,” Shmygal said, addressing his words specifically to business owners.
“We imposed the quarantine on time and we will lift it in due time. Irresponsible calls for early lifting of the quarantine threaten all Ukrainians,” he said.
According to the government plan, public places, public transport and businesses will reopen in stages as long as the infection rate falls.
The first stage, which may begin after May 11, envisions reopening parks, forests and coastal areas and some types of businesses: car washes, bike rentals, non-grocery stores, notaries, law and audit firms, some beauty salons and hairdressers. Coffee shops may start selling takeaway coffee.
Shmygal said that the quarantine measures might be tightened in individual regions should the situation with COVID-19 get worse.
Moreover, even after reopening, requirements to wear masks, use disinfectant, and obey social distancing rules will remain in place, he said.
On April 29, the government allowed food bazaars to reopen, provided they adhere to special sanitary and social distancing requirements.
Customers and vendors must wear masks and undergo body temperature checks at the entrance. Every marketplace must have hand sanitizer dispensers, disinfect surfaces every three hours and clean the entire marketplace daily. No more than one customer is allowed per 10 square meters, and the distance between vendor stalls should be at least three meters.
Ukraine closed public places such as bars, restaurants, gyms, cinemas, theaters, museums, beauty salons, malls and shops — except for pharmacies, banks, gas stations and stores selling groceries and basic household goods —on March 17.
However, some businesses continue to operate.
Epicenter, a chain of hardware stores owned by millionaire married couple Oleksandr and Halyna Gerega, continues to sell food, pharmaceuticals and household goods along with construction materials. Some electronics stores of the Allo and Citrus chains also remain open, as do the Roshen confectionery stores owned by former President Petro Poroshenko.
Investigative journalists recently revealed that a high-end restaurant in downtown Kyiv belonging to lawmaker Mykola Tyshchenko allegedly continued to accept clients despite a ban on dine-in service.
And while coffee shops and kiosks have been shut down, McDonalds and petrol stations still sell takeaway coffee.
