Kyiv extends COVID restrictions until April 30; numbers stabilize

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko announced on April 14
that the city would extend its current restrictions until April 30. The mayor
posted on Telegram that the COVID situation in Kyiv has not improved. However,
no new restrictions were introduced. Kyiv registered 1625 new cases and 51 new
deaths due to COVID-19, he announced on April 15.

The Rating sociological group announced the results of
their latest poll, which shows that 19% of Ukrainians trust current Health
Minister Maksym Stepanov. More than half of respondents hold that the Health
Ministry and Presidential Office are not acting effectively, and 30% believe
that they are being effective.

The Health Ministry reported on April 15 on Facebook
that the country reported 16,427 new COVID-19 cases and that 433 had died.

James Hydzik: The current numbers are holding steady, showing that Ukraine has
probably reached a maximum for this wave of infection. Mortality rates have
stabilized as well, though they are higher than with the previous waves. Kyiv
managed to stabilize the situation without the more draconian lock down of last
spring, and cities such as Rivne are ending restrictions as cases drop. The
municipalities seem to have been able to strike a balance between public health
and economic concerns, though some would prefer to see stronger measures
sooner. The polling numbers, though, show that the government has not been able
to find a path forward that instill confidence in the populace.