Kyiv Mayor’s Coronavirus Update – April 28, 2020
28.04.2020
The mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko held a briefing providing an update on the coronavirus situation in Ukraine’s capital and the measures the city is taking to respond.
Klitschko: Compared to the previous days today’s coronavirus statistics looks not so optimistic. The number of new cases in Kyiv rose to 1298, with new 78 cases overnight. Three of them are medics.
Newly infected are 36 women, aged 23-74 and 36 men, aged 23-80. There are also six children among new case: three girls (11-16 years old) and three boys (seven months-17 years old).
22 patients were admitted to the hospitals.
Let me share some updated stats about the coronavirus cases in Kyiv. Women account for 44% of all COVID-19 infections in Kyiv (574 cases in total) and men for 56% (724 cases overall). There are 80 children (43 boys and 37 girls) among those who have got infected as of today. They represent 6.2% of all cases.
Health workers make up 9% of all cases (120 medics so far). The clergy constitute 14% (179 individuals).
Now the share of COVID-19 cases by age groups. Kyivans of 18-29 years old represent 15.8% of all cases (205 cases). People aged 30-49 account for 43.4% (564 persons). They are the most hardest-hit population. Kyivans of 50-65 years old constitute 23.2% (148 infections) and people aged 65 years and above make up 11.4% (148 infections).
I want to emphasize that the restrictions must still be respected, even when we start easing them. We will see if we are ready to relax the restrictions and to what extent. Otherwise, the quarantine will last longer.
The city government has set up a pilot plan for the lockdown relaxation from as early as May 12. We are not looking to lifting the restrictions, we are talking of easing them up. If we see no significant decline of new cases over 14 days of the relaxation period, we will not go further. If the situation worsens, we will reverse our plan.
This is why I am urging the Kyiv businesses to follow the new relaxation rules and Kyivans – to take all necessary precautions.
Entering Phase One, retail shops below 300 square meters will reopen. They will have to strictly follow the current limit of customers (one shopper per 10 square meters) and disinfect the premises twice a day. Shopping malls will stay closed. Hairdressers and beauty salons will reopen by appointment only, serving only one client at a time and taking all hygiene measures. Coffee shops and restaurants, as well as street food vendors, will work only for takeout, with their kitchen disinfected twice a day. Legal bureaus and lawyer offices will also resume operation under the health guidelines.
The city authority will allow small businesses such as manufacturing and small stores as well as dry cleaners and tailor shops to reopen if they further comply with health precautions (one employee and one customer per ten square meters).
All businesses must ensure that their staff and customers wear facial masks as well as practice social distancing. Temperature screening is mandatory for employees and clients.
The city parks and squares will also reopen for visiting
with a reduced number of visitors (no more than two people or two grown-ups with two kids).
Drive-in cinemas will also resume operations. We hope that this week the government will establish the health guidelines under which the city food markets would reopen.
The lockdown will remain in place for the Kyiv kindergartens and schools, playgrounds and sports facilities as well as recreation water zones. The city will further reduce the public transportation service. Metro and suburban transit will reopen by a Government’s order.
Please keep in mind that a facial mask is still mandatory for wearing in public places. A strict mandatory quarantine order and immediate shutdown will remain in place for any city business with a spike of new cases.
As of now, Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra, Ioninsky Monastery and Pokrovsky Holosiivsky Monastery are still shut down as coronavirus clusters.
With all this in mind, I plead everyone to keep following the rules. Please remember that future restriction relaxation depends on our attitude!