COVID-19 in Ukraine: Tougher Lockdown in Lviv and Restrictions in Zaporizhzhia

The share of children among COVID-19 patients in Ukraine has not increased.

Additional quarantine restrictions will take effect in Lviv and Zaporizhzhia from October 18, and could be tightened further from November 1. Here are the key facts about the coronavirus pandemic situation in Ukraine today. 

Tougher quarantine in Lviv

Andriy Sadovyi
Mayor of Lviv

Difficult times call for hard and swift action. From October 18, Lviv will live under new quarantine rules. 

According to the mayor, schoolchildren in the city will go on a two-week holiday until November 1. The same applies to out-of-school educational institutions, including music schools. Libraries will operate only for book lending. 

It has also been decided to ban mass events, except those where participants and organizers have a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before the event begins. 

Theaters, museums, cinemas, galleries, the philharmonic and the organ hall will operate only for visitors with a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test, but the number of visitors must not exceed 50% of total seats. 

Retail outlets, hairdressers, beauty salons and shopping and entertainment centers will be allowed to operate provided staff are vaccinated or have negative PCR tests. Occupancy of these venues may not exceed half of their floor space. 

Andriy Sadovyi warned that if the situation does not stabilize within two weeks, from November 1 catering establishments will be open only to vaccinated people or those with a negative PCR test. 

According to him, gyms, hotels and hostels will operate under the same conditions: full vaccination of staff and a PCR test requirement. Gym occupancy may not exceed 50%. 

Restrictions in Zaporizhzhia

Because the epidemic situation in Zaporizhzhia has worsened, a "red" level of epidemic danger is being introduced from October 18, and additional quarantine restrictions are being imposed. 

On October 16, an extraordinary meeting of Zaporizhzhia's Technogenic and Emergency Safety Commission was held, which approved a list of strict quarantine restrictions designed to prevent the rapid spread of the coronavirus. 

Gas stations, pharmacies, banks and hospitals will operate. Hairdressers and other service establishments are allowed to accept visitors only by prior appointment. 

Morbidity among children

Health Minister Viktor Liashko said that the share of children among COVID-19 patients in Ukraine has not increased compared with the spring wave of the coronavirus. 

Viktor Liashko
Health Minister of Ukraine

Right now, it seems, there is a rise in numbers. You can see that children are getting sick, and children are showing up in the statistics. And in schools we see that children are getting sick. But if we look at the percentage relative to all people who have fallen ill, we see that the range is 7-10%. It was like this in spring, and it is the same now. That is, no significant shift in morbidity specifically for the age group from 0 to 18 has been recorded in Ukraine. 

Asked whether he sees a need to vaccinate children against the coronavirus, the health minister replied: "I see a need to vaccinate at least 70% of the adult population." 

He reminded that 80% of coronavirus deaths have been recorded among people aged 60 and older, which is why this age group is a priority for vaccination. 

According to Liashko, 98% of all sequenced coronavirus strains in Ukraine are the Delta strain.