Ukraine Starts COVID-19 Quarantine Exit

Editorial Team Business, Law

On May 04, 2020, the Ukrainian Government decided to extend quarantine till May 22, 2020, but relaxed a number of quarantine restrictions beginning May 11.

Starting May 11 it is permitted to:

  • visit parks, squares, recreation areas, forest parks and quays;
  • visit sports grounds and children’s playgrounds;
  • open shops, including those located in shopping malls. Note that entertainment facilities and food courts of shopping malls remain closed;
  • provide certain amenities and services to the population, including:
    • beauty salons
    • hairdressers
    • clothing and shoe-repair shops
    • service centers for household appliances and others
    • however, sports clubs & fitness centers, cultural and entertainment activities and events remain shut down during the quarantine
  • open summer terraces of cafes and restaurants;
  • provide dental services;
  • provide the services of advocates, notaries, auditors and psychologists;
  • carry on the work of businesses and organizations responsible for education & training of athletes for Olympic, non-Olympic, and national types of sport;
  • carry on the work of museums, open-air museums and conservation areas with OR without accepting visitors (based on the decision of the owner or regulatory body);
  • carry on the work of print journalists, TV journalists, mass-media companies and tele-organizations, as well as media sales points
  • participate in rehearsals of theaters, circuses, concert organizations, and other performance ensembles, but without an audience (visitors).

Note: the above businesses have to comply with number of special sanitary requirements developed by Ministry of Healthcare, including wearing masks & other means of protection by staff and visitors, maximum amount of visitors per square meter and others. Requirement of wearing masks in public places remains in force.

May 12, 2020, will mark exactly 2 months since quarantine was implemented in Ukraine, which undoubtedly significantly decreased the number of new COVID-19 cases in the country. At the same time, the lockdown has caused serious damage to Ukraine’s economy and the wellbeing of Ukrainian citizens. 

From a worldwide perspective, COVID-19 outcome statistics reveal that, depending on the country, anywhere from 1.5% to 16% of persons who have tested COVID-19 positive will die from the disease. While the vast majority do survive, many will suffer permanent damage to their health. 

As of May 10, 2020, Ukraine has recorded 15,232 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 391 deaths; of those, 3,060 persons were considered recovered. Over the past few weeks, Ukraine has accounted for about 500 new COVID-19 cases every day. 

As in other European countries, it is clear the decision to relax quarantine measures was not made in response to a decline in cases or because of the development of effective treatments or a vaccine, but to prevent possibly even harder economic consequences. 

The Ukrainian Government has warned that if  there is a substantial rise in new cases due to the relaxation of quarantine, it may need to introduce even stricter measures in future. All future decisions regarding the extension or removal of quarantine will be made based on the situation of the world Coronavirus pandemic.

Please note that earlier (on April 22, 2020), the Ukrainian Government adopted an Anti-Covid-19 Regulation that allowed persons entering Ukraine, to opt between 14 days’ hospitalization OR self-isolation for the same period of time using the Act at Home mobile app. Prior to this, all persons who crossed Ukraine’s border were subject to mandatory hospitalization for 14 days.

For more information on the full list of quarantine restrictions and measures, please refer to our blog Quarantine Measures in Ukraine.

Should you have any further questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.