The lockdown from Jan. 8 to Jan. 24 proved successful and there is no need for another one, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said in an interview with TV channel Ukraina 24 on Jan. 24.
Gyms, cinemas, shopping malls, restaurants and bars were closed for three weeks during the lockdown. Public transport continued to run.
According to Stepanov, the January lockdown helped decrease the number of severe COVID-19 cases.
“As of December 1-2, we had 29,000 patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 diagnoses,” the health minister said. “As of this morning, that number is 18,862 patients.”
However, this statistic may not be as accurate as the minister says.
The number of daily polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests has decreased dramatically from around 45,000 in early December to 15,000 in late January. This means many cases go unrecorded and some patients do not even make it to the hospitals.
According to the minister, the January lockdown had been designed to prevent the need for another one.
“We picked dates (for the lockdown) with the lowest economic activity, considering also the forecasted spread of the disease during that period,” Stepanov said. “This was done so that we do not have to impose any further strict measures before April-May,” he added.
However, many Ukrainians questioned the Ministry’s logic. People widely expected the lockdown to start before the winter holidays, not after.
Stepanov’s comment about not needing a spring lockdown may be dubious for another reason. On Jan. 12, he said the opposite.
In an interview with Ukraina 24, the minister said people traveled around the country to celebrate the winter holidays, spreading the virus in the process. This was among the main reasons for an expected coronavirus spike, according to Stepanov, who recommended extending the lockdown past Jan. 24.
Soon he changed his mind. Starting Jan. 25, Ukraine went back to its pre-lockdown restrictions.
Under the adaptive quarantine set to last at least until Feb. 28, all mass gatherings such as concerts and parties are banned and restaurants can work until 11 p.m. Mask and social distancing rules remain in force in all public spaces.
“Our strategy now is to get back to the state of affairs before January 8. Then in a week or 10 days, we see how the situation changes in the regions and move forward with adaptive quarantine anti-coronavirus restrictions based on the epidemiological situation in particular areas,” Stepanov said.
