Zelensky: "Weekend quarantine" to be introduced for several weeks

Vladimir Zelensky believes that tightening quarantine will have a good effect. Photo: president.gov.ua

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said that the introduction of temporary lockdown for the weekend time could last for several weeks. It was announced on Monday, November 9, 2020, during a conference call with representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers and law enforcement agencies on countering the spread of COVID-19.

"A temporary quarantine regime for the weekend, for about a few weeks, can help us avoid a tough lockdown" Zelensky was quoted as saying in his press service. "In this way we will avoid a large increase in patients and will have time to prepare the required number of beds."

He added that, in his opinion, an increase in the number of beds, wearing masks and a temporary "weekend quarantine" will have a good effect, and "our scenario for the development of the epidemic situation in the cold season will not be the worst one."

Earlier, Minister of Health Maxim Stepanov and Chief Sanitary Doctor Viktor Liashko announced that Ukraine is going to introduce a "weekend quarantine". According to Stepanov, the new quarantine measures provide that from 00:00 Saturday to 00:00 Monday, only grocery stores, pharmacies (including veterinary ones), as well as transport and gas stations will operate in the country. Restaurants and cafes will be able to work on weekends only for take-away. On Monday, Liashko confirmed that tightening quarantine measures over the weekend would be proposed and voted by the Cabinet of Ministers in the near future.

As the UOJ reported earlier, the President of Ukraine called on religious leaders to help counter the spread of COVID-19.

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