Ukraine border to remain open during January lockdown, president says

Ukraine’s border will be open during the likely
January nationwide lockdown, President Zelensky said in a Dec. 4 video
statement. The likelihood of the lockdown “is not small,” yet the president
urged the public not to cancel travel plans.

New infections of the COVID-19 disease caused by the
coronavirus declined 7.9% to 89,322 during the week ended Dec. 6, Health
Minister Maksym Stepanov said during his press briefing. That’s the first time
since August the weekly rate has fallen, he said. The positive dynamics are
owing to the weekend lockdown, though they fell short of the maximum potential
effect of a 20% decline, he said.

On a daily basis, new cases reached 8,641, compared to
11,590 on Dec. 5 and 13,825 on Dec. 4. An estimated 145 patients died from
COVID-19 on Dec. 6, compared to 167 on Dec. 5 and 226 on Dec. 4.

Zenon Zawada: The weekly
trend of COVID-19 infections spiking ahead of the weekend, before falling
during the weekend, has been maintained. However, it’s unclear how Stepanov can
attribute the first week-over-week decline since August to the weekend lockdown
if it was no longer in effect this past weekend (having concluded in November).
This could only be explained by lockdown behavioral habits that remained
preserved into December.

Meanwhile a bigger economic effect will be gained
from foreign travel remaining open during the likely January lockdown than for
the compensation for individual entrepreneurs approved on Dec. 4. It’s positive
to see President Zelensky making travel a priority of his.