Kyiv Mayor’s Coronavirus Update – March 18, 2021
18.03.2021
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: I have more troubling news today. For the second day in a row new daily coronavirus cases surpass the 1,000 mark. Hospital admissions are also rising fast. 148 people were admitted to the city hospitals over the past 24 hours with positive Covid-19 diagnosis, not to mention patients with suspected virus infection, pneumonia and flu. Currently, there are over 3,300 coronavirus in-patients in Kyiv. Covid-19 hospitals are over 70 per cent full.
The situation is really dangerous. Unless the national government declares Kyiv the red zone, the city is still in the orange epidemiological zone. You may know, that as of February 17 the responsibility to expand the coronavirus restrictions rests with the Cabinet of Ministers. And the Kyiv authority has already urged the national government to do so. Unfortunately, our appeal went unanswered and the municipality has to handle the situation singlehandedly.
Yesterday the Prime Minister claimed that the central government does not block the right of local governments to enact their own decisions in this context. Kyiv interprets his words as consent given to the municipality to urgently respond to the current situation which is very complex and can get disastrous at any time.
With an aim to prevent the further spread of the virus, the Kyiv Emergency Commission has imposed strict mandatory restrictions which come into effect on March 20, at midnight and will remain in place until April 9 inclusive. We have to save the lives and health of Kyivans!
Those new measures cancel any mass gatherings and festivals. This also applies to sports competitions that will take place behind closed door. Today’s football match will be played also withоut fans іn аttеndаnсе. Cinemas and theatres, museums and concert halls as well as leisure centres and shopping malls will close.
Attendance at church services is limited to one person per at least ten square metres.
Coffee shops and restaurants, as well as street food vendors, will work only for takeout. Hairdressers and beauty salons will work by appointment only. Fitness centres and gyms can operate with no indoor group activities. Gas stations, pharmacies, pet shops, grocery shops and households stores remain open.
Kindergartens will operate as normal, but schools students to be back to remote learning after their spring vacation.
The public transport service will operate at 50 per cent seating capacity. Facial masks are mandatory both for passengers and transport staff.
The staff of all municipal-owned companies will work remotely, from home. Also, we urge the privately-owned companies to let their staff work remotely, excluding those who keep the essential services operating.
It is not my intention to scare you. I just want that all Kyivans stay responsible and respect the imposed measures. We have to buy time doing everything to avoid the collapse of public healthcare.