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There is no talk of returning the ban on walking in parks (Photo: REUTERS / Gleb Garanich)
Already next weekend, from November 14 to 15, Ukraine can introduce weekend quarantine, restrictions that will be in force to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
As expected, the Cabinet of Ministers will approve the corresponding initiative of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine at a meeting on Wednesday, November 11.
Meanwhile, NV says details of the quarantine scheduled for the weekend are already known.
Who suggested it and why?
In early November, several Ukrainian media outlets wrote at the same time that the Cabinet of Ministers planned to tighten the quarantine in Ukraine, including introducing the call. weekend quarantine. The reason was the explosive growth in the incidence of the coronavirus and the critical situation in many hospitals in the country. (after November 3, the number of new cases barely falls below 9 thousand a day).
Subsequently, representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine confirmed that they would propose such an initiative to the government and explained its purpose.
«We believe that with stricter restrictions on the day off, we can, to one degree or another, break this chain of diseases. [COVID-19]… Along with other measures, this could contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. The main thing for us is the speed with which the disease is spreading, it must be contained ”, said the Minister of Health, Maxim Stepanov, on November 5 on the air of the television channel Ukraine 24.
«We will do everything we can to save the healthcare system from collapse and not stop the economy, ”said Viktor Lyashko, chief medical officer, citing another reason for this stricter quarantine format.
Stepanov also confirmed that Ukraine «it cannot introduce a blockade, as they do in some countries, not for two or three weeks. “” Therefore, we are forced to introduce a strict quarantine on Saturday and Sunday, “said the head of the Ministry of Health.
When will the weekend quarantine be introduced?
The exact date will be determined by the government’s decision, but most likely, starting next weekend, November 14-15… This option was previously allowed by Minister Stepanov.
Furthermore, such a conclusion can be drawn from the statement of Viktor Lyashko, who on November 9 said that the Cabinet of Ministers «I intend to vote in the near future in favor of the introduction of the weekend quarantine in Ukraine. “
At what times will the restrictions apply?
Presumably from 00:00 Saturday to 00:00 Monday throughout Ukraine (regardless of the color of the quarantine zone), new restrictions will need to be applied.
What will be closed and prohibited on weekends?
If we summarize the statements of Stepanov, Lyashko and other information that reached the press about the quarantine of the weekend, then such measures are expected on Saturday-Sunday:
- closure of food courts and entertainment areas in the mall – planned to allow only stores to function;
- prohibition of entertainment and public events;
- prohibition of cultural institutions (incl. cinemas, theaters, museums);
- permission for restaurants, cafes and other catering establishments to work for take out only.
«We are talking about the closure of entertainment venues, recreation areas in the mall, food courts, so that only stores work. So that one person can only come to the store, shop and leave the mall. It’s better to relax outside and order food at home, explained Viktor Lyashko in an interview with Radio NV. – This will be monitored by the National Police, the State Food Safety Service and the commissions created by local governments. You are now in the agreement stage. Have a mechanism that really works and affects the chain of transmission of coronavirus disease. “
What will work?
During the weekend quarantine in Ukraine, only:
- grocery stores,
- pharmacy,
- transport,
- gas stations,
- veterinary pharmacies.
Will it be possible to leave home?
Probably yes. The restriction of free movement through the city, as provided by the closure regime in some European countries, has not yet been reported.
The renewal of the ban on walking in parks, which was in effect in Ukraine in the spring, is also out of the question.
How long will such a quarantine be introduced?
President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised that the weekend quarantine regime will last only a few weeks. He hopes that those measures can be lifted once the situation stabilizes.
«A temporary weekend quarantine regimen, for a few weeks, can help us avoid a difficult one. lockdown, Zelensky said on Nov. 9. “This way we will avoid a large increase in patients and we will have time to prepare the necessary number of beds. Increasing the number of beds, wearing masks, and temporarily quarantining the day off will have a good effect. Our scenario for the development of the epidemic situation in the cold season will not be the worst. “
Maxim Stepanov also confirmed that the duration of said quarantine will depend on whether it is possible to stabilize the situation with the spread of the coronavirus.
What other measures can the government implement to combat COVID-19?
Close schools (especially those of primary), kindergartens, the Cabinet of Ministers does not plan to stop the transport or the work of companies and companies nationwide.
However, the government is discussing a series of measures that should be a response to the spread of the coronavirus in Ukraine. Among them:
Watches for the elderly. The Ministry of Health intends to propose to the points of sale and businesses that they approve a period of time of 10 to 12 hours as time to serve people over 60 years of age. “Then they can arrive by transport, because the rush hour is past and there will be less contact in the local with young people. This will allow us to save the lives of the elderly ”, believes Viktor Lyashko.
Prohibition of planned operations and hospitalization. This measure is already in force: clinics in Ukraine from November 9 only accept urgent patients. “Since Monday, all planned hospitalizations have been banned, our hospitals only accept urgent patients and exclusively coronavirus patients,” Lyashko said.
Strict requirements and prohibitions for red zones. Now if a more than 320 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants are registered in the region (during the last 7 days), then it refers to the red level of epidemic danger. However, local authorities also regulate restrictions, often refusing to introduce the standards recommended by the Cabinet. The Ministry of Health offers an additional criterion: if in the region the percentage of positive tests exceeds 20% of the 100 analyzed, then these regions must apply the full list of restrictions and prohibitions for red zones, including the closure of restaurants and public transport.
Field hospitals. “The occupancy of beds for patients with coronavirus in hospitals across the country is in the range of 65-70%. If we exceed 75%, we will use additional hospitals and beds, ”Lyashko recalled. However, according to him, there is a line behind which the limits of health institutions will have to be crossed.
«First of all, we are talking about sanatoriums and hotel-type institutions. And the third stage – institutions located in adapted premises with a large area: exhibition centers, sports palaces, ice stadiums, where you can quickly put beds, stretch oxygen. But the question of medical professionals arises. There is a limit to the additional mobilization of health workers. Equipment can be provided, but doctors cannot. We will need to attract volunteers ”, he warned.
