Ukraine is living in quarantine for more than a month. Nationwide restrictive measures were launched on 12 March. They differ from region to region. Chernivetska Oblast, which borders Romania and Moldova, was the first one hit by the pandemic, and was the first one to close down schools on 5 March. In Sumy Oblast, in northern-eastern Ukraine, leaving your home without an urgent need was banned on 28 March. And on 6 April, all citizens nationwide were obliged to wear masks and carry ID outdoors.
Kyiv went on quarantine gradually. First, schools and universities, cinemas and theaters were closed. Later mayor Vitaliy Klitschko shut down shopping malls. Only pharmacies, grocery, and household shops were allowed to work. Cafes and restaurants were closed as well; they can only work in delivery mode. Later, the mayor shut down coffee and shawarma kiosks.
On 18 March, Kyiv’s metro was closed, but passengers could still use on-ground transport while wearing masks – no more than 10 inside a vehicle. Now public transport works only for certain categories of employees, like medics or shop workers. To use it, they need a special permit.
It’s hard to predict the economic consequences of the quarantine for Ukraine. According to the Opendatabot, 160,000 people lost their jobs as of the end of March in the restaurant business alone.
Also, the Rating Group research states that about half of Ukrainians have nearly no savings and without a job have money to last them for less than a month.
Right now, the quarantine is scheduled to end on 24 April. However, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced it will probably be prolonged till early May, and that Ukraine will have to get back to work gradually after then.
