Ukrainians to have hard winter due to COVID-19 – Stepanov

The winter in Ukraine will be very difficult due to the coronavirus pandemic, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said.
“We're going to have a hard winter. Our main task is to go through this pandemic winter with minimum losses. By the word loss, I primarily mean human life so that fewer people die from this terrible, serious disease," Stepanov said at a briefing on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

As of November 13, Ukraine reported 512,652 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 11,787 new cases recorded over the past 24 hours.

On November 11, the Cabinet of Ministers made a decision to introduce a national weekend lockdown.

On weekends, from 00:00 Saturday to 00:00 Monday, the following services will be allowed: financial services; the operation of financial institutions, post offices; cash collection activity; the operation of medical and veterinary institutions, grocery stores, gas stations and auto services companies.

In addition to the restrictions imposed on weekdays, cultural institutions will be closed on weekends, except for the production of audiovisual works. Also, public catering establishments, shopping and entertainment centers, except for grocery stores, will not work.