COVID-19 in Ukraine: Seven More Regions May Turn "Red", Ukrzaliznytsia Opens Vaccination Points at Railway Stations

Ukraine does not plan to introduce a full lockdown.

Seven more regions in Ukraine may fall into the "red" epidemic danger zone, while Ukrzaliznytsia has opened COVID-19 vaccination points at railway stations. Here are the latest news about the pandemic in Ukraine. 

"Reddening" of Regions

Minister of Development of Communities and Territories Oleksiy Chernyshev said that seven more regions may end up in the "red" zone if anti-epidemic measures are not strengthened. 

The regions in question are Zhytomyr, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi and Chernihiv oblasts. As of October 20, all of them are in the "orange" zone. 

In the above-mentioned regions, quarantine should be tightened to slow the outbreak of coronavirus. 

Following a meeting of the Commission on Technogenic and Ecological Safety and Emergencies, it was decided that the regional state administrations of Zhytomyr, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy and Chernihiv must take measures to:

• deploy additional hospital beds
• increase the number of tests
• update patient routes and ensure their strict implementation by the regional medical service
• monitor compliance with hospitalization criteria for patients with coronavirus
• The State Food and Consumer Service must strengthen control over compliance with anti-epidemic measures

Situation in Sumy Oblast

Starting October 23, Sumy Oblast will be classified as a "red" region of epidemic danger due to the spread of coronavirus. 

Oleg Nemchinov
Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers

An extraordinary meeting of the State Commission on Technogenic and Ecological Safety and Emergencies was held today. Following the results, the State Commission decided to establish: from 00:00 on October 23, 2021, a "red" level of epidemic danger of COVID-19 spread on the territory of Sumy Oblast, and to apply the restrictive anti-epidemic measures provided for the "red" level of epidemic danger on the territory of Sumy Oblast. 

At the same meeting of the Commission on Technogenic and Ecological Safety and Emergencies, it was instructed to strengthen control over compliance with sanitary norms, increase the bed capacity and introduce additional quarantine restrictions in the united territorial communities where the largest outbreaks of morbidity are recorded in Chernihiv, Lviv, Rivne and Zhytomyr oblasts. 

Vaccination Points at Railway Stations

Since October 21, JSC Ukrzaliznytsia has deployed vaccination and express coronavirus testing points at 10 railway stations. 

"Unvaccinated passengers can get a test at an affordable price and receive a certificate, which will serve as grounds for travel in case of a negative result," the agency's message says. 

Express testing points operate at 10 railway stations in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Mukachevo, Kryvyi Rih, Vinnytsia and Poltava. 

Passengers holding a train ticket can get a test for UAH 350. Ukrzaliznytsia noted that Medical Laboratory CSD was chosen as the agent for express testing, as it "offered the most favorable cost of services." 

In addition, starting October 21, free coronavirus vaccination points begin operating at five railway stations (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Dnipro). 

Ukrzaliznytsia plans to expand the list of stations where vaccination and testing points will operate. 

No Full Lockdown Planned

Ukraine's prime minister said at a government meeting that the authorities do not plan to introduce a full lockdown in the country, but stressed the need for mass vaccination. 

Denys Shmyhal
Prime Minister of Ukraine

Even in the "red" zone, businesses and public establishments may operate if all visitors and employees are fully vaccinated. We do not plan to introduce a full nationwide lockdown and bring the economy to a halt. But as the president said this week: the only alternative to lockdown is precisely mass vaccination. 

Shmyhal also said that Ukraine has faced the greatest challenges of the coronavirus threat during the entire pandemic. 

Denys Shmyhal
Prime Minister of Ukraine

The challenges we are facing now are the greatest during the entire pandemic. Unfortunately, we have an extremely high number of severe cases and hospitalizations. Five regions have already moved into the "red" zone of epidemic danger. Several more regions may enter this zone in the coming days. 

According to him, new hospitals are constantly being connected and the number of doctors fighting coronavirus is increasing. However, it is impossible to stop the pandemic if Ukrainians do not get vaccinated. 

Regions were given the task of ensuring the vaccination infrastructure's capacity to reach 1.5 million doses per week. The prime minister urged people not to wait for "red" zones in their regions, but to go and get vaccinated now.