Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said the decision to introduce a lockdown on the territory of Ukraine will be made on December 9.
"We will finalize the document tomorrow. Now we are having the last consultations with our colleagues. First, the Health Ministry develops, sends a decision to other colleagues, we will make a decision, and they endorse or make appropriate changes to this document. I would like to see the finalized document, and after that we will immediately tell everything to everyone," he told Ukraine 24 TV channel, answering a question of what will be opened during the lockdown.
"Now I can say for sure that transport will work, we will not close any city transport or air traffic. Everything related to transport will not be suspended under strict quarantine," the minister stressed.
Read alsoHealth official elaborates on possible tough quarantine in early January (Video)Stepanov assumes the lockdown will not start on January 2.
"When we talk about the final curbs that will be in effect, they will all work. I want to emphasize as the health minister that it is important to have a real lockdown, and not a fake one. Therefore, it is very important to explain to people why we want to introduce the lockdown. Since we have a seasonal increase in the incidence of influenza in late January – early February, so we need to enter it with the least number of patients with coronavirus," the minister added.
Winter lockdown prospects in Ukraine
- On December 4, Stepanov said the ministry would propose to the government to introduce strict quarantine with maximum restrictions starting from early January for three weeks.
- At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had recommended that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal not introduce a lockdown in December.
- Shmyhal said a lockdown would have to be introduced in Ukraine in January.
