Rada registers bill to cancel weekend lockdown regime

Ukraine’s parliament registered a bill on Nov. 16 to
cancel the weekend lockdown regime imposed last week by the cabinet. While city
governments can’t ignore the cabinet’s decision, it has placed many citizens in
a dead end position, said Olena Kondratiuk, the acting speaker. At today’s
session, she said she will also propose reviewing a resolution requiring timely
informing citizens on its measures to strengthen quarantine/lockdown
conditions, so that businesses and citizens could be prepared for changes.

Three complaints to cancel the weekend lockdown have
been submitted to the Kyiv District Administrative Court, which is currently
being considered by authorities for reorganization owing to corruption
allegations. The complaints were filed by three cultural institutions in the
Western-oriented city of Lviv: the organ and chamber music building, the
Ukrayinka academic drama theatre, and the movie center. The severe lockdown
will lead to revenue losses of more than 50%, according to the complaints, the
pravda.com.ua news site reported.

The weekend lockdown reduced activity in Ukraine’s
cities of 100,000 or more residents by 18.5% on Saturday and 27% on Sunday,
according to the National Security and Defense Council, as reported by the
President’s Office website. “I believe that Ukraine took the correct step. The
World Health Organization informed the public that the highest number of new
infections are reported on the weekend. Reducing contact between people is
saving lives. At the same time, we need to renew and improve all programs of
economic aid to entrepreneurs, those who lost their jobs and those who live by
themselves,” he said.

New infections of the COVID-19 disease caused by the
coronavirus swelled to 11,968 on Sunday, Nov. 15, Health Minister Maksym
Stepanov announced this morning. That’s compared to 9,832 on Nov. 15 and 10,681
on Nov. 14. An estimated 159 people died from the disease on Nov. 16, compared
to 94 on Nov. 15 and 95 on Nov. 14.

Zenon Zawada: We are confident opponents of the weekend lockdown will have better
success overturning it in Ukraine’s chaotic courts rather than in parliament.
But it likely won’t be the District Administrative Court, which is reportedly
under Zelensky’s protection as its reorganization or possible liquidation is
being pursued. Overall, we don’t see strong chances of overturning the weekend
lockdown. Instead, we expect city authorities will simply continue to look the
other way of those in violation (though the national police will be actively
enforcing it).