Ukraine to let regions with fewer COVID-19 cases ease lockdown

The Ukrainian government is prepared to end a nationwide lockdown and allow health authorities to ease restrictions in regions with fewer COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Wednesday. The decision may be taken in the coming days, he told a televised cabinet meeting.

The Ukrainian government is prepared to end a nationwide lockdown and allow health authorities to ease restrictions in regions with fewer COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Wednesday.

The decision may be taken in the coming days, he told a televised cabinet meeting. "There is currently a controlled and stable situation regarding the spread of coronavirus," Shmygal said.

A stringent nationwide lockdown in January had helped "reduce the burden on the medical system and break the disease chain," he said. The number of new cases of coronavirus infection in Ukraine has decreased from 6,000-9,000 cases a day at the beginning of January to about 2,500-3,000 this week.

Shmygal said regions will be put into green, yellow, orange and red zones depending on the scale of new infections. He also said the government was sticking to its plan to start vaccination in mid-February.