Ukraine Is Slowly Coming Back to Life After Quarantine: What Reopens on 1 and 10 June
Life goes on and is slowly getting back to its old rhythm. At the weekend I was on Khreshchatyk, Kyiv’s main street: people are out walking, sitting in cafés again, and the roads are full of cars.
Autolux: buses between regions from 1 June
I’m glad that Kyiv has finally let everyone back on buses and trolleybuses, and the metro reopened on 25 May. Restrictions are still in place, and you won’t get on without a mask. But getting around the city is already cheaper than by taxi.
And there’s more news: from 1 June travel between regions is allowed again, so Autolux and other bus companies are back on the road.
What reopens on 1 and 10 June
The way out of quarantine is set out in Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 392 of 20 May. The easing applies only in regions where new cases and hospital bed occupancy are below the set thresholds.
From 1 June:
- gyms, fitness centres and sports facilities – no group classes of more than 10 people;
- classes in schools and colleges in groups of up to 10, student practicals and exams, dissertation defences, adult education;
- trains on all domestic routes – up to the number of seats; if a train goes to a region without easing, no more than half the seats, with an empty seat next to each passenger;
- buses between regions – up to the number of seats.
From 10 June:
- cafés and restaurants, including indoor seating, with anti-epidemic measures in place;
- cultural venues and events – no more than one person per 5 m² of floor space;
- hotels and other accommodation.
Passenger flights are promised to return from 15 June. And on 20 May the government allowed 66 border crossings with the EU and Moldova to reopen.
Uber brings in masks
Uber, on the other hand, has stood out, and not in a good way.
Uber’s message about the new rules (in Ukrainian)
Uber now requires a mask from both the driver and the rider. Before starting trips, the driver takes a selfie and the app checks for a mask. Riders are asked to sit only in the back and, before every trip, to tick a checklist confirming they are wearing a mask and have sanitised their hands. A trip can be cancelled if the other person has no mask.
So the whole quarantine went by quietly, and they bring this in only now – a little late. In my experience, Bolt arrives faster and costs less anyway.