Timeline of Ukraine’s response to coronavirus pandemic (DEVELOPING)

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11. The new virus has infected over 3.6 million people around the globe and has killed nearly 252,000 people, as of May 5. 

Ukraine has had 12,697 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 316 deaths, and 1,875 recovered patients, as of May 5. 

The virus was first detected in China. On Dec. 31, the Chinese authorities informed the WHO about several cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in the eastern province of Hubei. 

The virus received the name 2019-nCoV and was identified as new to the family of coronaviruses, which cause respiratory tract infections such as the common cold, SARS and MERS. The disease caused by it was named COVID-19. 

In over three months, the virus has spread globally, forcing governments to close borders, halt travel, shut down schools and public places and make their citizens stay home and limit contact with others.

Source: The Center for Public Health, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health

Here’s the timeline of how the coronavirus has spread in Ukraine and how the country has responded. Entries are in reverse chronological order.

June 18 — Key takeaways from the briefing of chief sanitary doctor Viktor Lyashko: 

• The deterioration of the epidemiological situation in June can be attributed to the country’s reopening and easing of the quarantine restrictions since May 12, and is not directly connected to the increase in PCR testing.
• According to the WHO, only 30% of COVID-19 cases are detected in the world, and the rest of carriers are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms and don’t go to doctors. Taking this into account, the number of people with the coronavirus may be as many as 132,000. But this is just a mathematical model. To get a real picture of how widespread the virus has been in the country, the health ministry is preparing to carry out random ELISA testing for antibodies in places most affected by the outbreak. 
• The number of hospitalizations is significantly increasing. If earlier up to 100 patients were taken to hospitals every day, recently their number has reached 170-190. Every day, 90 patients are put on lung ventilators. 
• The number of pneumonia cases is growing too. After a peak in April when 900 cases were registered per day, the trend decreased to some 200 cases. Now it has gone up to 600-700 cases a day. 
• Had Ukraine not introduced a lockdown in mid-March, roughly 145,000 people in the country would have died from COVID-19 by the end of this year. Moreover, intensive care units across the country would have been overcrowded by April 25. 
• According to the most desirable scenario (provided that the adaptive quarantine rules are followed and the coronavirus is moderately seasonal), Ukraine might have as many as 410,000 confirmed cases and 4,000 deaths by the end of this year. But seasonality is not the main factor affecting the death rate. Following the health authorities’ recommendations is. Currently, one in 30 patients with confirmed COVID-19 dies in Ukraine. Hopes that summer heat could weaken the virus did not come true. 
• In the worst-case scenario, it is projected that 650,000 people may get sick and  7,000 people may die by the end of this year. 
• Strict quarantine may be reimposed in some areas after June 22 if the epidemic situation continues to worsen.
• Starting June 22, the health ministry will change the criteria for easing or intensifying anti-epidemic measures in different regions: no less than 24 PCR and ELISA tests per 100,000 population; the detection rate of infections over 11%; the growth rate of cases over 10%. The last two indicators are being introduced instead of incidence.

Zakarpattia Oblast tightens anti-epidemic measures. The regional commission banned all cultural and religious events, as well as weddings and funerals with over 10 attendees. It closed gyms, swimming pools, spas and entertainment facilities. Cafes and restaurants may not serve customers indoors. The region also halted inter-regional bus travel to stop the spread of the virus. 

As of June 18, the region had 1,882 confirmed cases pf COVID-19, 772 patients recovered and 51 died. 

June 17 — Health authorities report a new record: 758 confirmed cases and 31 deaths in the past 24 hours. 

The Cabinet of Ministers prolongs the “adaptive quarantine” until July 31 due to the increased number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, deaths and hospitalizations. Over the past week, 4,835 people were diagnosed with the disease.

June 16 —Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast tightens some anti-epidemic measures. The regional commission rules to close gyms and sports facilities, as well as art and cultural venues (museums, galleries, circuses, libraries, theaters etc.). It also banned cultural events and limited the attendance of religious events to one person per 10 square meters. 

As of June 15, this western Ukrainian region had 1,766 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 1,030 recovered patients and 91 people killed by the disease. 

June 15 — Ukraine reopens borders and resumes international flights. The health ministry has published a list of 50 countries whose citizens must undergo mandatory 14-day observation or self-isolation with mobile tracking application Diy Vdoma upon arrival to Ukraine. 

June 13 —Ukraine reports a new record: 753 confirmed cases in the last 24 hours. 

The authorities continue to call on citizens to follow the rules: wear masks, wash hands, use sanitizers, and maintain social distancing. “Easing of quarantine does not mean it is canceled,” Health Minister Stepanov repeatedly says, commenting on the upward trend. 

June 11 —Ukraine reports a record number of cases: 689 confirmed in the last 24 hours.

June 10 —  Art and culture venues (museums, galleries, circuses, libraries, theaters etc.), cinemas and hotels may reopen, except for in Kyiv and the following regions: Volyn, Rivne, Lviv, Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi and Zhytomyr oblasts. 

June 5 — Cafes and restaurants in Kyiv and seven oblasts that did not meet the government criteria cannot serve clients indoors. 

June 3 — The government will resume domestic air travel on June 5 and international flights on June 15, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says. 

Cafes and restaurants, which currently may only serve customers at outdoor seating or for takeout, will be allowed to open indoors on June 5. 

June 2 — Owners and staff at restaurants, cafes and bars hold a rally in front of the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv demanding that the government allow them to reopen indoor service. 

Currently, they may only serve for takeout or at outdoor seating. 

June 1 —Train and bus travel between oblasts resumes. Gyms and swimming pools may reopen. Certain educational classes— like driving lessons — may take place in groups of no more than 10 people.

May 30 — Shopping centers and malls reopen in Kyiv without entertainment zones and food courts. 

The Ukrainian football premier league resumes with empty stadiums. In the first match after the quarantine break, FC Desna Chernihiv defeates FC Kolos from Kyiv Oblast with a score of 2-0. 

The national football federation temporarily changed some regulations for the time of the pandemic, allowing clubs to play home games not in their own stadiums. 

Ukraine’s state railway monopoly, Ukrzaliznytsia, begins sales of tickets on trains to some western Ukrainian cities — namely to Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhgorod, Kovel and Khmelnytsky — that will start running on June 4. 

May 29 — At 00:00 Ukraine reopens 66 border checkpoints with Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. In the meantime, 56 border checkpoints with Russia and Belarus remain closed. 

May 27 — Ukraine’s state railway monopoly, Ukrzaliznytsia, begins sales of tickets on trains to central and eastern Ukrainian cities. Trains to Zaporizhia, Berdyansk, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Kherson, Pokrovsk, Vinnytsia, Sumy and Novooleksiivka will start running on June 1. 

May 25 — The metro reopens in Kyiv. Passengers must wear masks, maintain 1.5 meter distance from each other and undergo temperature checks. 

May 23 — Public buses, trolleybuses, trams and mini-buses start running again in Kyiv. 

May 22 — The “adaptive quarantine” comes into force. The criteria for oblasts to enter further stages of easing the restrictions are: less than 12 new cases per 100,000 members of the population over the last seven days; less than 50% occupancy of hospital beds; more than 12 people tested per 100,000 over the last seven days.

As of the morning of May 22, only 13 out of 25 Ukrainian regions met the government’s criteria — and Kyiv wasn’t one of them.

May 15 — Ukraine may start mass testing for antibodies to COVID-19 as early as the week of May 18. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests look for the presence of antibodies to the coronavirus in a blood sample and show whether a person has been sick at some point in time. 

PHOTOS: Life returns to Kyiv streets as government eases quarantine restrictions

May 11 — The first stage of easing quarantine measures begins. 

The following places may reopen: parks, forests, playgrounds, sports grounds, non-grocery stores (particularly, in shopping malls); museums; hairdressers and beauty salons; psychologists’ offices, notaries, audit and law firms; dental clinics; domestic service providers (cleaning services, dry cleaners, clothing and shoe repair shops, etc.); summer terraces and takeout service at cafes and restaurants. 

People are allowed to be on the streets in groups of no more than two, with an exception of those accompanying children; must wear masks; carry ID and keep their distance from one another. 

In addition, the Kyiv authorities have announced that playgrounds and sports grounds will remain closed. Stores, hairdressers, beauty salons, and domestic service providers bigger than 300 square meters may not open, as well as those located inside malls and which don’t have a separate entrance from the street. 

May 7 — The parliament passes a law aimed at conducting mass testing in Ukraine. In total, 336 lawmakers voted for bill No. 3380 submitted by Olga Stefanyshyna from the Golos (Voice) party. 

Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund shift their ongoing talks over further financial aid from a three-year program to an 18-month stand-by arrangement to manage the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. 

May 4 — The government decides to extend the quarantine for the third time, until May 22. However, some restrictions will be eased in a concession to demands from the business community. Ukraine has not seen a decline in COVID-19 infections yet. 

Starting May 11, the following public places and businesses are allowed to reopen: parks and recreation areas; museums and libraries; beauty salons and hairdressers; summer terraces and takeout service at cafes and restaurants; dental clinics; notaries, audit and law firms; domestic service providers (cleaning services, dry cleaners, clothing and shoes repair shops, etc.); stores in shopping malls; appliance and electronics service centers. 

Other businesses, including food courts and entertainment areas in malls, most public transportation, intercity and foreign travel by air and train, dine-in service, schools and universities and borders will remain closed. 

However, the authorities will not ease measures in individual regions and cities with the most infections — they term this “an adaptive quarantine.” A special commission will convene by May 11.  

Top sanitary doctor Viktor Lyashnko releases a decree with requirements to reopening businesses. They include:

• Temperature screening of all employees before work day starts;
• Elderly and immunocompromised employees must be exempt from work;
• Regular disinfection;
• Customers may enter the premise by appointment only;
• No more than one customer per 10 square meters;
• Tables on summer terraces must be 1.5 meters away from each other, and not more than 2 people may sit at one table. 

Kyiv authorities allow small coffee shops to sell takeout coffee and other drinks. 

May 2 — Nearly 100 restaurant owners gather outside the presidential administration and set up chairs and tables, antiseptic, plastic cutlery and meals. They are demanding that the government allow them to open outdoor terraces and provide dining service there.

May 1 — Despite a green light from the government, Kyiv officials decide not to reopen food bazaars. Several other cities follow suit, namely Ternopil and Kremenchuk, a city in Poltava Oblast. 

April 30 — The mayor of Cherkasy goes against the national government and eases some quarantine measures in his city, drawing the ire of the president’s office and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. Cherkasy officials allowed parks and some small and medium businesses to reopen to the public. At the moment, Cherkasy Oblast has 290 confirmed COVID-19 cases.  

April 29 — The government allows food bazaars to reopen in concession to protests of farmers and market entrepreneurs. The pleas also came from ordinary citizens who need a place to shop for cheaper groceries. 

Several hundreds of small business owners and individual entrepreneurs rallied outside the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv demanding to relax the lockdown and allow them to work under the same sanitary and social distancing requirements as some large businesses do during the quarantine. 

April 27 — The government is allocating Hr 6 billion ($221 million) to pay unemployment benefits to people who lost their jobs during the quarantine and subsidize small and medium businesses, which are struggling to pay salaries to their employees. 

The minimum unemployment benefit will be raised from Hr 650 ($24) to Hr 1,000 ($37). 

Officially, there are over 400,000 registered unemployed Ukrainians. However, various estimates place the real number of unemployed in the country at between 2 million and 2.5 million people, including those who have lost jobs or have been furloughed during the quarantine.

April 26 — A wave of protests by farmers and market entrepreneurs erupt in Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia oblasts. They demand the right to reopen food bazaars, complaining that they have been forced to throw out rotting produce or sell it for cheap while supermarkets are making profits.  

April 25 — The first large batch of 200,000 Ukrainian-made PCR tests for diagnosing COVID-19 will be delivered to laboratories around the country, the President’s Office says. Read more about tests developed by Ukrainian scientists here. 

April 24 — Prime Minister Denys Shmygal presents a five-stage plan for lifting the quarantine measures. The government may start easing restrictions after May 11, the day when the official quarantine expires, provided that the number of new infections in the country declines and the healthcare system isn’t under excessive pressure. 

A communal housing block in the small town of Vyshneve outside Kyiv is quarantined after 101 out of 239 of its residents test positive for COVID-19. 

April 23 — Top sanitary doctor Viktor Lyashko discusses the possibility of antibody testing in Ukraine on a TV talk show. He says that national laboratories are ready to carry out over a million antibody tests a day, but does not give any specific details on when testing could start and who would be eligible. 

Meanwhile, the country hasn’t been able to launch large-scale PCR testing due to disorder and understaffing. Read more here.

Here’s how Ukraine’s testing numbers compare to some of its neighbors, European countries and the U.S., as well as Australia and South Korea, which successfully contained the spread of the virus. 

April 22 — The government extends the quarantine until May 11 based on mathematical modeling of the National Academy of Sciences predicting that infections will peak in Ukraine on May 2-8. However, the report warns of a significant margin or error due to limited data. 

April 21 — The Ukrainian government is contemplating extending the quarantine until May 12, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov says at the briefing. Despite the extension, some restrictions will be lifted, including the ban on visiting parks, museums and libraries, he adds.

April 20 —The number of coronavirus cases in Ukraine is expected to peak early in May, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal says at a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Health Minister Maksym Stepanov says that seven Ukrainian oblasts – Vinnytsia, Lugansk, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, and Khmelnitsky – didn’t provide the ministry with any information about coronavirus testing in the past 24 hours.

April 19 — According to the National Police, nearly 130,000 people attended overnight Easter services held in 13,658 churches across the country. Many churches held service behind closed doors or to limited congregations. However, crowds defying social distancing rules were detected at Sviatohirsk Lavra in Donetsk Oblast and Pochayiv Lavra in Ternopil Oblast. Both belong to the church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

April 18 — Regional authorities impose additional restrictive measures over Easter weekend to keep people at home: from temporary lockdowns and bans on being outside to the closure of cemeteries for visits. During the week after Easter, Ukrainians traditionally visit cemeteries to commemorate their dead relatives.  For the first time, Ukraine has administered over 5,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests within 24 hours, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov says during an online briefing. 

April 17 — The Trinity Monastery of St. Jonas in Kyiv has been quarantined after three priests contracted COVID-19, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko says at a briefing. The monastery becomes the second site of the Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate closed due to the outbreak after the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. 

The total number of clergymen infected with COVID-19 at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra reaches 103, including its head, Metropolitan Pavlo. Two priests have died.  The religious school belonging to Lavra has 19 infections, including its rector, Bishop Silvester, and 18 students. 

Two other Eastern Rite churches, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, have urged their followers to stay home on Easter Day, watch televised services and sanctify their Easter meals with prayer and holy water themselves. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine also postponed Hrobky, the tradition of visiting the graves of deceased family members one week after Easter, until June 6. 

Although the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate allowed its adherents not to come to services on Easter, it announced that its places of worship will be open anyway and invited believers to the Holy Fire ceremony, in which they can light a candle from fire brought from Jerusalem. 

April 16 — All passengers and drivers must now undergo body temperature checks at all entry and exit points of Kyiv. 

April 15 — Health Minister Maksym Stepanov says it’s too early to talk about ending the quarantine. It will be possible only when infections begin to decline. 

The government plans to close 10 more border checkpoints, leaving only 9 open for car entry.

The Presidential Office says that the dynamic of COVID-19 infections in Ukraine resembles Spain, currently the second worst hit country in the world after the U.S.

April 14 — In his address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelensky urges Ukrainians to stay home on Easter Day. He says that Ukraine will see the peak of the outbreak next week. 

Top sanitary doctor Viktor Lyashko rescinds his March 31 decree that allowed the reopening of food bazaars, saying that sanitary regulations and distancing requirements were violated at these markets.

April 13 — Kyiv officials quarantine the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the main site of the Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, after 2 deaths and 90 cases of COVID-19 confirmed among the clergy. 

April 12 — Currently, Ukraine expects that no more than 2% of its population will contract COVID-19, which is a manageable number of people for the country’s healthcare system,  Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, Ukraine’s top sanitary doctor, said in an interview.

How are the war-torn Donbas and Russian-occupied Crimea responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? That largely depends on Russia. Read more here.

April 11 — For the first time, the number of recovered COVID-19 patients in Ukraine exceeds the number of deaths. On April 11, the Center for Public Health reports 73 deaths and 79 recoveries among 2,511 cases. 

April 10 — Medical workers make up 15 % of all COVID-19 patients in Ukraine, health minister Maksym Stepanov says in a TV interview. As of April 10, Ukraine has 2,203 confirmed cases, 334 of which are medical professionals. 

April 9 — Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announces that if a company has an employee who has contracted the coronavirus, the entire staff will be placed under quarantine. 

Healthcare minister Maksym Stepanov says that Ukraine will receive an additional 320,000 pills of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug also used for treating lupus, which U.S. President Donald Trump has promoted as a cure for COVID-19. The WHO is conducting clinical research into hydroxychloroquine’s effectiveness against the novel coronavirus. 

The drugs are donated by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi and Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis Sandoz. At the same time, the minister says that 14,000 lupus patients in Ukraine won’t face shortages of the vital drug. 

April 8—Prime Minister Denys Shmygal says the quarantine is likely to be extended until the beginning of May. 

April 7— Only 19 border checkpoints remain open for crossing by car only. 

The Ministry of Digital Transformation launches a new mobile application to track people who have to be in self-isolation: COVID-19 patients in outpatient treatment, suspected coronavirus carriers and people who returned from abroad. 

April 6— Additional, tougher quarantine measures come into force. All people must now wear masks in public places and should not go out in groups of more than two.

The total number of infected reaches 1,319, including 95 children and 38 deaths. 

12 Ukrainian TV channels start airing school lessons from Monday to Friday starting at 10 a.m. The broadcasts include up to five lessons a day.

April 4 — According to estimates, the coronavirus will reach its peak in Ukraine on April 14-15, Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko says at a briefing. However, he does not say how many cases and deaths are projected at the peak. 

The number of confirmed cases reaches 1,096. Sixty percent of them are aged 30 to 59, and 20 percent are over 60. To date, 23 people have recovered. 

Among the 28 killed by the virus, 19 are women and 9 are men. Almost all of them were over 50 and had pre-existing heart, lung or kidney diseases, diabetes and cancer. 

Ukraine sends 20 doctors to the Italian city of Naples for 14 days as humanitarian aid. They will help the Italian doctors and gain firsthand knowledge of fighting the virus in the worst-hit European country, President Zelensky says. 

April 3—The Cabinet of Ministers tightens nationwide restrictions on movement, with some regulations started immediately and some taking effect on April 6. 

• A 14-day quarantine in a facility chosen by the government becomes mandatory for persons arriving from abroad. The policy is not new, but the government decree reiterates it;
• Groups of no more than two people are allowed to be on the streets, with an exception for  accompanying children;
• It is forbidden to spend time in parks, recreation areas and playgrounds;
• Everyone must carry an ID document and wear face masks outside. 
• In addition to the closure of the subway and trains, buses also stop running. 
• Utility providers are banned from cutting gas and electricity during the quarantine

The full decree is here. The restrictions will be in place until the end of April, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal says. If the number of infections declines, the government will start lifting restrictions in several stages. 

April 2— Speaking on the 1+1 TV channel, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov says that Ukraine received 3,000 packages of Plaquenil, a common brand name of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug promoted by the U.S. President Donald Trump as a cure for COVID-19. Experts have argued that its effectiveness against the new disease has not been proven, and the drug has side effects. 

Ukraine adopts an integrated care protocol for treating patients with COVID-19 that prescribes the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. 

Stepanov says that ambulance paramedics and drivers will receive salary bonuses similar to doctors and nurses fighting the coronavirus. Earlier, the government ordered that their pay be tripled. 

The Dnipro mayor bans any renovations in buildings and apartments for the duration of the quarantine and closes parks, sports grounds and playgrounds.  

April 1 — President Zelensky addresses the nation in a video. Read the full transcript in English here. 

A survey by the Rating Group shows a large majority of Ukrainians support heavy restrictions on public activities and outdoor movement. Moreover, 58% of the country’s population favors imposing a curfew. 

Over 50 people escape from the Kozatsky hotel in central Kyiv, where they were placed for mandatory 14-day observation upon return from abroad. The deputy interior minister says on TV that they will be fined Hr 17,000 ($625). 

March 31 — The top official charged with the response to the coronavirus outbreak, Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, issues a decree that the authorities may open food bazaars (distinct from grocery stores and supermarkets) on the condition that registered vendors wear protective gear and social distancing is maintained with no more than one customer per 20 square meters. The distance between the stalls should be at least three meters. 

The Anti-Monopoly Committee bans advertisements of any medications as treatment for the coronavirus. Such ads are deceptive, the agency said, since there is currently no vaccine or cure for COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization. Pharmaceutical companies, advertising agencies and media companies that violate the law will be fined up to 5% of their annual revenues. 

A survey by Info Sapiens pollster shows that 60% of Ukrainians have suffered financially from the economic shutdown. According to the poll, 38% of 800 respondents reported income reduction, 16% reported a complete loss of income and 14% said they lost their jobs. 

March 30 — The parliament appoints Maksym Stepanov as health minister and Serhiy Marchenko as finance minister. Former respective ministers Illia Yemets and Ihor Umansky resigned after 26 days in office. 

The Cabinet of Ministers amends its macroeconomic forecast for 2020 due to the economic shutdown to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. GDP is expected to drop by 3.9%. The unemployment rate is projected to rise from the current 8.1% to 9.4%. 

A 14-day quarantine under medical supervision for everyone arriving in Ukraine from abroad becomes mandatory. Individuals will be placed in designated hotels and sanatoria. 

Ukrainians evacuated from Vietnam and Indonesia revolt against the new requirement to undergo observation instead of self-isolation at home. Some run away from the airport or pay fines, others complain about the costs and conditions of the hotels they are placed in. 

The total number of cases reaches 480. Three-fourths of them are people of working age between 20 and 60 years old. Nine percent are children and teenagers, and 15 % are people aged 60 and older. 

March 29 — A special train carrying 700 Ukrainian citizens evacuated from the Russian capital of Moscow arrives in Kyiv. 

Starting March 29, the government closes the border for all passenger mass transport. Ukrainians traveling individually will still be allowed to return to the country on foot or by car, according to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

The Ministry of Health rolls out an interactive dashboard of 240 hospitals prepared to treat severe coronavirus patients. 

A second plane with goods from China arrives in Kyiv. According to the presidential website, it brings 300,000 respirator masks, 35,000 hazmat suits, 1.8 million medical masks, and other protective gear. 

Moreover, another plane arriving the same night brings 100,000 PCR test systems for coronavirus. Ukraine will send two additional planes to China for cargo delivery, deputy chief of staff Kyrylo Tymoshenko says. 

March 27 — Ukraine closes borders to all air, bus, and train traffic. 

The Foreign Ministry starts a program called Zahyst (Protection) to help Ukrainians stranded abroad to return home.

Viktor Lyashko signs the guidelines for burying people who died from COVID-19. 

• Bodies of the deceased have to be treated with chlorine-containing disinfectant and placed in an airtight (hermetic) sack; 
• Bodies have to be buried or cremated in a closed coffin;
• Relatives are allowed at the funeral, but no more than one person per 10 square meters standing at a distance of 1.5 meters from each other;
• Local authorities must keep records of all persons attending the funeral. 

Ukrainian fact-checking websites VoxCheck and StopFake join Facebook’s fact-checking program to fight disinformation and misinformation about the pandemic. 

The U.S. will provide Ukraine with medical and humanitarian aid worth $1.2. million to fight the pandemic, the Ukrainian embassy in the U.S. says in a statement

March 25—The Cabinet of Ministers imposes an emergency situation regime in the country. The quarantine is extended until April 24. 

In addition, the government orders

• All buildings, sidewalks and street must be disinfected; 
• Social services, civic and volunteer organizations have to provide help to vulnerable social groups. 

March 24 — The government will set up a roughly Hr 200 billion ($7 billion) stabilization fund to support pensioners and citizens who lost their jobs or income during the quarantine, Prime Minister Shmygal says on ICTV channel. 

March 23 — In Kyiv, all public transport closes for non-essential personnel. 

An Il-76 military plane lands in Kyiv carrying the first shipment of medical equipment from China. The presidential office reports that it brought 250,000 rapid test kits and an unspecified number of PCR tests, lung ventilators, medical masks and other items. 

March 22 —Ukrainian airlines UIA and Sky Up schedule last-call flights to evacuate foreigners from Ukraine between March 24-27. 

March 21 —Kyiv officials announce new restrictions:

• All public transport is restricted to essential personnel — medical workers, supermarket employers, etc. — starting March 23;
• No more than one person per 10 square meters is allowed in supermarkets and pharmacies starting March 25; 
• The government bans using playgrounds and sports grounds in parks and outside of apartment buildings starting March 21. 

The Ministry of Defense announces that the military police alongside the National Guard and the National Police will jointly patrol cities and towns during the quarantine. 

March 20 — Ukraine’s first confirmed COVID-19 patient, a man from Chernivtsi, becomes the first to recover from the disease. 

A third Ukrainian dies from coronavirus in Italy: a 60-year-old woman who worked in Bergamo province. 

Over 1,000 Ukrainian nationals return home from Poland by train. 

In a video address, President Zelensky announces that China is sending “10 million high-precision lab test systems, 400,000 rapid testing kits, 10 lung ventilators, one million face masks, disinfectants and other supplies” to help Ukraine fight against the coronavirus. 

March 19 – A third person dies from COVID-19. The 56-year-old woman in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast was hospitalized in critical condition a day earlier. 

A second Ukrainian dies from COVID-19 in Italy. The 62-year-old woman from Lviv Oblast worked in the town of Romano di Lombardia in Bergamo province 

The total number of confirmed cases in Ukraine rises to 21.

March 18 – Subways in Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv close for the time of the quarantine. Buses, trams and trolleybuses may carry no more than 10 passengers at once. All passengers must wear masks in public transport. 

Kyiv’s public transport authority warns that drivers who take more than 10 passengers will lose salary bonuses and may even be fired. 

The government declares an emergency situation in Kyiv Oblast.

The authorities of Chernivtsi, the city with most coronavirus cases, halt all public transport to force people to stay home.  

The total number of confirmed cases in Ukraine rises to 18. 

Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krykliy says the state will evacuate 35,479 citizens who are stuck abroad after border closure. 

The WHO provides Ukraine with more reagents for PCR testing that will allow it to test 1,600 people, according to the Center for Public Health. 

March 17 – All international passenger flights and trains in and out of Ukraine stop. 

Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Zaporizhia and Ivano-Frankivsk become the first cities to shut down most public places such as bars, restaurants, gyms, cinemas, theaters, museums, beauty salons, malls and shops — except for pharmacies, banks, gas stations and grocery stores. 

The Cabinet of Ministers orders closed most public places nationwide, except for pharmacies, banks, gas stations, insurance companies and grocery stores. All public events and gatherings of over 10 people, including religious ceremonies, are banned. Domestic air, rail, and bus travel halts. 

A 33-year-old woman from Chernivtsi becomes the second victim of the coronavirus in Ukraine. 

The total number of confirmed cases in Ukraine grows to 14, including three children, a teenager and three adults. 

President Zelensky holds a meeting with the owners of the biggest businesses in Ukraine, including prominent oligarchs. He asks them to step up and help the government to deal with the pandemic’s spread. 

In an interview with the ICTV channel, Zelensky says Ukraine will receive 1 million rapid testing kits from China thanks to Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group, who gave $80 million for the tests, and Ukrainian businessman Oleksandr Yaroslavsky. 

Deputy Health Minister Lyashko says on TV that 15 regions have tests for the coronavirus. 

Parliament passes a bill with amendments to legislation aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Ukraine. The bill envisions the following: 

• A 200% salary bonus to medical workers involved in tackling the coronavirus;
• The procurement procedure for purchases of medications and protective equipment;
• Imports of medical goods are exempt from VAT and customs duties;
• Tax deferrals for businesses and individual entrepreneurs; 
• The government imposes control over prices on “socially important goods” such as medical masks, sanitizers;
• Strengthened penalties for patients who violate obligatory isolation and intentionally infect people. The crime can be punished with a fine of Hr 17,000-51,000 ($610-1,830), up to six months of arrest and up to three years in prison. If breaking quarantine leads to another person’s infection and death, the person who infected them intentionally may be jailed for five to eight years. 

March 16 – Ukraine bans entry to foreign nationals, except those holding residency permits, diplomats and employees of international organizations. It also closed 94 border checkpoints.

Ukraine evacuates 123 of its citizens from the Italian-Slovenian border. All of them tested negative for the coronavirus. 

Two patients in Kyiv test positive for COVID-19. One of them had returned from France. The total number of cases reaches 7. 

The Consular Service of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry says it has stopped accepting applications and issuing visas from March 14. 

President Zelensky creates a coordination council to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Ukraine. It consists of a number of ministers, the head of the border guard service, the General Staff and National Security and Defense Council. 

Zelensky addresses the government in a video proposing to halt all rail, bus, and air travel within the country and close subways.

The health ministry says it is planning to oblige hospitals to postpone scheduled surgeries to make room for coronavirus patients. 

March 15 – The health ministry announces it has partnered with Facebook, which has 14 million users in the country, to fight misinformation. The social network will push updates from verified sources such as the WHO, the ministry website, and the government coronavirus information website, covid19.com.ua.

March 13 – The first person dies from the coronavirus in Ukraine. The victim is a 71-year-old woman from Radomyshl, Zhytomyr Oblast. The town of 15,000 people declares a state of emergency. 

First Ukrainian dies from the coronavirus in Italy. The 66-year-old Ukrainian woman worked in the city of Chiari in Brescia province. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky convenes an emergency meeting of the National Security and Defense Council to discuss measures against the spread of COVID-19. After the meeting, he addresses the nation in a video and announces the closure of the country’s borders. 

March 12 – Ukraine wakes up to a three-week nationwide quarantine imposed until April 3. Schools, universities, and kindergartens shut down. Public events of over 200 people are canceled. 

Two new coronavirus cases are confirmed. The patients are an elderly woman from Zhytomyr Oblast who had returned from Poland and a man from Chernivtsi Oblast whose wife had returned from Italy. The total number of cases amounts to three. 

A UIA flight from Milan arrives in Kyiv after Italy imposed a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. All passengers undergo health screenings and are advised to self-isolate. Three foreign nationals with suspicious symptoms are hospitalized for further testing for COVID-19. No cases are confirmed. 

Ukraine stops air connection with Italy. 

March 11 – The health ministry says it purchased 19,600 rapid test kits that will allow them to test over 90,000 people. 

The government allocates Hr 100 million ($3.8 million) for the purchase of protective equipment. The export of those items is banned. 

March 10 – UIA cuts the number of flights to 16 countries — namely Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Denmark.

March 7 – Ukraine introduces obligatory health screenings and body temperature checks on border checkpoints with the parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts controlled by Russian-backed militants.

49 Ukrainians are confirmed to be on board the Grand Princess cruise ship quarantined off the California coast. 

March 5 – All Wuhan evacuees leave quarantine in Novi Sanzhary. None of them tested positive for the coronavirus. 

The health ministry registers a Telegram channel to inform the public about coronavirus updates. 

March 4 – In a government reshuffle, Denys Shmyhgal becomes Prime Minister. Сardiac surgeon Illia Yemets is appointed the new Health Minister. 

March 3 – The first coronavirus case is confirmed in the western city of Chernivtsi. The man traveled from Italy to Ukraine via Romania. He was hospitalized on Feb. 29. 

The government launches a website www.covid19.com.ua with information about the coronavirus. 

Feb. 28 –The WHO begins training in coronavirus detection and treatment in all designated Ukrainian hospitals. 

Feb. 27 – A 26-year-old Ukrainian woman is diagnosed with coronavirus in the Italian city of Cremona. She was hospitalized in Naples and discharged on March 13. 

Feb. 26 – Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko is appointed chief official in charge of the response to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Each region has two designated hospitals to accommodate the first coronavirus patients. 

Feb. 24 – Ukraine starts making all passengers arriving from countries affected by COVID-19 undergo temperature checks. The screening is carried out in two Kyiv airports and the border checkpoint Tysa on Ukrainian-Hungarian border. 

The Center for Public Health receives 30 reagent kits for COVID-19 from the WHO, now sufficient for PCR testing of 960 people. 

Feb. 20 – Ukraine evacuates 45 citizens and 27 foreign nationals from Wuhan. They are placed in a 14-day quarantine in the town of Novi Sanzhary in Poltava Oblast. Their arrival stirs unrest among local residents fueled by false rumors that the evacuees were infected. Then-Health Minister Zoryana Skaletska volunteers to join them in quarantine. 

Feb. 11 – The World Health Organization (WHO) names the disease COVID-19. 

Feb. 5 – The Center for Public Health receives the first test systems for the coronavirus. They include reagents for polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, testing. 

25 Ukrainian crew members are confirmed to be on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama on Feb. 4. Three of them tested positive for the coronavirus and were hospitalized. One of them recovered and was discharged from the hospital. Two remained in a Tokyo hospital as of March 9. 

Feb. 4 – Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) stops flights to China.

Feb. 3 – The Cabinet of Ministers issues a decree “On preventing the acute respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus 2019-nCoV.” Its measures include putting government bodies on high alert in case of an outbreak, obligatory 14-day isolation for people who visited Hubei province and adopting a national plan for anti-epidemic measures against COVID-19. 

Jan. 24 – The health ministry issues an order on preventing the virus’ entry into Ukraine and its spread on Ukrainian territory. The measures included establishing an emergency operations center, developing guidelines during the outbreak, auditing hospitals and clinics and training medical personnel. 

Jan. 23 – The health ministry and its Center for Public Health give a press briefing on “the spread of the coronavirus infection nCoV following the outbreak in Wuhan, China.”