KidSpirit

Coronavirus in Ukraine

Connection and IsolationGlobal Beat

COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease has since spread worldwide, leading to an ongoing pandemic. This awful disaster affected my Motherland too. In Ukraine, we did not expect COVID at all, but our government has reacted fast and taken all necessary measures.

First, our Cabinet of Ministers adopted quarantine restrictions. Since March 12, Ukraine has introduced quarantine in educational institutions and a number of other measures to combat the spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19. The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to temporarily ban foreigners from entering Ukraine and closed international passenger services. On March 25, a state of emergency was declared throughout Ukraine. The quarantine was extended until April 24. Trade establishments were closed, except for grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and banks. Also, subways in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro were stopped, and intercity and interregional automobile, railway, and air connections were suspended. On April 2, the government passed a resolution to tighten "quarantine" restrictions. Thus, from April 6, quarantine in Ukraine became stricter. In particular, it was forbidden to walk the streets in groups of more than two and be in public places without masks or respirators. On April 22, the Cabinet of Ministers extended the quarantine until May 11, and then until May 22. Then the government approved a decision to introduce adaptive quarantine by June 22, while the second phase of quarantine mitigation began on May 22. It was a relief for everyone to hear that we were moving to adaptive quarantine. On June 22, new amendments came into force. According to the changes, the validity of adaptive quarantine in Ukraine was extended until July 31.

Spring was the hardest period for my family, friends, and me. It was grievously hard to switch to mobile communications fully. You could become crazy after three months of strict isolation, that’s why it was a challenge for all of us. My mum spent about three hours just talking to her friend on the phone daily, my dad was working, and I was studying and training at home all the time. Quarantine mitigation made us joyful, because we were waiting for it for a long time. But now, in 2021, we still have quarantine, masks and respirators as an everyday accessory for everyone. A lot of people do not follow the quarantine rules as they did in spring 2020, however all of us understand how important it is to wear a mask and keep distance even now, when the rate of the virus infection is lower.

Anastasia Korobka is in the ninth grade and lives in Kyiv, Ukraine. She lives with her parents and enjoys reading, especially novels and crime thrillers. She also adores writing poems, painting, swimming, drawing, and doing crafts. When she has free time, her friends and I play volleyball or go to the gym. She is fond of taking pictures from different angles, having picnics, and spending time with her friends.

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Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn

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Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn