State of emergency, approved by cabinet, not yet needed, Avakov says

Implementing a state of emergency or curfew isn’t
necessary in Ukraine at the moment, Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov said
in a television interview on Mar. 28. That’s in spite of Ukraine’s cabinet
having approved the ability to introduce a state of emergency on Mar. 25.
Instead, restrictions related to the quarantine must be upheld, he said. That
includes the shutting of all retail outlets, restaurants, and
recreational/entertainment centers being closed, as well as schools and
educational institutions, until at least Apr. 24. The quarantine also forbids
more than two workers, or customers, from being in one public space at any
point.

Several regions of Ukraine have either imposed their
own restrictions, or are considering doing so. The Ukrainian-controlled Donetsk
and Luhansk regions imposed travel blockades as of 8:00 Mar. 28 in order to
contain the coronavirus, reported the press center of the Joint Forces
Operation. The regional administration of the Chernivtsi region, among the
worst afflicted, has requested to introduce a special regime of travel and to
prohibit all passenger traffic.

As of noon, Mar. 30, 11 people have died in Ukraine
of the COVID-19 disease, as reported by the Center for Public Health at the
Health Ministry. An estimated 480 patients in Ukraine have been infected, of
which six have recovered.