Klitschko warns of possible severe quarantine renewal in Kyiv

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned on May 11 about the
possibility of renewing the severe quarantine in the city on the same day that
the first phase of relaxations was launched nationally. Klitschko made the
statement on his Telegram channel after 66 new cases of coronavirus infection
surfaced in the city on May 10. That was after 34 cases on May 9, 50 cases on
May 8 and 46 cases on May 7, raising the total in the city to 1,871. “The
situation is not simple truly, especially on the eve of the date when we are
planning to introduce the relaxation of weakening measures. And if the dynamics
of the illness grow in such a way, any relaxation will be illogical and can
lead to an eruption of infections. And then we’d have to introduce a more
severe quarantine.” Klitchko didn’t report the number of COVID-related deaths
on May 10, but reported two deaths on May 9.

May 11 marked the launch of the first phase of
quarantine relaxations, the rules for which were mostly uniform throughout Ukraine
with the exceptions of the city of Kyiv and the hard-hit Chernivtsi region,
which kept severe restrictions in place. They include the opening of nonfood
stores (not smaller than 300 sq. m. in the city of Kyiv without a separate
entrance), basic service businesses with nonessential exceptions such as spas
and tattoos parlors, dental offices, cafes and restaurants with takeout service
and outdoor seating, museums and public outdoor spaces (with the exception of
children playgrounds in the city of Kyiv), training camps for sports teams, and
the offices of dentists, law offices, notaries, and auditors, among other
establishments.

The reopenings are dependent upon the upholding of
sanitary conditions, including the wearing of protective gear, the maintaining
of social distancing, the carrying of identifying documents at all times, and
being in public in no more than pairs (other than families). Mass public
transit remains largely restricted, both intracity and intercity. The city of
Kyiv announced enhanced bus transit as of May 12.

Coronavirus infections rose by 375 cases, or 2.4%,
from the prior day, to 16,023 total as of noon, May 12, according to the Center
for Public Health of the Health Ministry of Ukraine. A quarter of those
infected were medical workers. An estimated 425 people have died from the
COVID-19 disease, an increase of 17 cases from the prior day. Recovered
patients rose 85 to a total of 3,373 cases.

Zenon Zawada: We believe
Klitschko needs to make pre-emptive statements about a severe quarantine being
reimposed in order to keep that option open, but we doubt that will occur
without a sharp swelling of cases in the city. Not only are the figures
pointing towards dropping cases of infections (with occasional spikes like the
May 10 data for Kyiv), but the public is adamant about working again, providing
goods and services.

The infection of medical workers continues to be the
biggest problem for Ukraine amid this pandemic, accounting for 3,114 cases, or
19% of the total, the Health Ministry reported today.