Ukraine extends Covid quarantine till Dec 31

Kiev, Sep 21 (IANS) The Ukrainian government has decided to extend the Covid-19-related quarantine regime till December 31 amid surging cases, the country's Health Ministry announced.According to a statement on the Ministry's website posted on Monday, Ukrainian authorities will soon introduce the "yellow level" of quarantine restrictions nationwide, the third-highest risk level in its four-grade system, reports Xinhua news agency.The anti-pandemic measures during the "yellow level" include a 50 per cent occupancy rule for cinemas and other cultural institutions, as well as limits on the number of people in restaurants, fitness centres and gyms, the Ministry said.Ukraine, which imposed the Covid-19 quarantine for the first time in March 2020, had eased the restrictions this summer due to the improvement of pandemic situation.Till date, a total of 2,350,646 Covid-19 cases and 54,919 deaths have been registered in Ukraine, while 2,231,417 patients have recovered, said the Ministry.According to the official data, more than 5.12 million Ukrainians have been fully vaccinated so far.
--IANS ksk/