Ukraine may tighten COVID-19 measures in early January - Shmyhal

He said this during a question-and-answer session in the Verkhovna Rada on Friday, December 4, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"In December, we are not planning to tighten other quarantine measures, except for the current restrictions that concern the orange zone in Ukraine. We can predict that the medical system will cope. The health minister spoke about it today. If we talk about the introduction of tougher measures, it's obvious that if the situation worsens, we can raise this issue in early January," Shmyhal said.

According to him, the government intends to provide more details at its next meeting on Wednesday, December 9.

Shmyhal said that the government was discussing further COVID-19 measures with the heads of regional state administrations and territorial communities.

On November 11, the Cabinet of Ministers introduced a weekend lockdown in Ukraine from November 14 to 30. According to a government resolution, from 00:00 on Saturday to 00:00 on Monday, in addition to the restrictions provided for on weekdays, it is prohibited to receive visitors in catering establishments - bars, restaurants, cafes. The activity of gyms, fitness centers and swimming pools is also prohibited. Shopping malls, other entertainment establishments and cultural institutions that hold cultural events should be closed.

Shmyhal announced at a government meeting on December 2 that the Cabinet of Ministers was lifting the weekend lockdown and was preparing a new restrictions plan to be implemented in the near future.

As many as 15,131 new COVID-19 cases were registered in Ukraine as of December 4, bringing the country's total to 787,891.

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