Slowing infection rate proves quarantine effectiveness, Zelensky says

Recent data show that the government’s quarantine
measures are effective in reducing coronavirus infections, Ukrainian President
Zelensky told a daily meeting on Apr. 6 of top officials to discuss the
situation. The number of newly infected patients was 68 on Apr. 5, a sharp
decline from prior days. Six people died that day from the COVID-19 disease,
all of whom suffer from severe chronic disease, the President’s Office said on
its website. “The decline in the amount of coronavirus infections is the result
of the quarantine. We would have had many more illnesses, as in European
countries. So our measures were timely and correct,” Zelensky told the meeting,
as reported by the web site.

Ukraine has restricted border crossings to 19
checkpoints as of Apr. 7, allowing only for vehicular traffic, the State Border
Service announced that day, as reported by the pravda.com.ua news site. A total
of 115 vehicular border crossings have been temporarily closed, while another
28 pedestrian crossings are temporarily closed, the service said. “People need
to understand that crossing the border by foot will be practically impossible,”
said a border service spokesman.

As of noon, Apr. 7, 45 people have died in Ukraine
from the COVID-19 disease. Seven infected people died on Apr. 6. An estimated
1,462 have been infected, an increase of 11%, or 143 cases, from the prior day,
according to the Center for Public Health of the Health Ministry. An estimated
28 patients are confirmed to have recovered. Of the 143 infection cases, 28
were reported in the highly stricken Chernivtsi region, of which six were
medical workers.

Zenon Zawada: We agree
with the president that the severe quarantine measures have avoided a
catastrophe at Ukraine’s poorly financed hospitals. It’s too early to claim
victory as the peak has yet to be reached though, and fortunately state
officials are aware of this. A recent poll indicated that the public supports
the government’s response to the virus pandemic. So if the government maintains
its course, the president will be earning political capital from this situation
to offset his failures and embarrassments in other spheres. And he can shift
any negative fallout on his mild-mannered prime minister.