Address by the President of Ukraine on combating the spread of coronavirus infection

I wish you good health, dear citizens!

Traditionally, I am telling you about our resistance to the spread of coronavirus.

First of all, we have very good news. The patient from Chernivtsi was re-tested for coronavirus. And he again tested negative. Hence, we can state officially: Ukraine has the first person recovered from coronavirus!

Today, he will be discharged from hospital and return home. I congratulate him personally and our entire country! This is the most pleasant news in recent days, and it shows that we will certainly be fine.

The main thing is to keep calm and stay in isolation mode.

We also received the first batch of rapid tests made by the Institute of Molecular Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. I am really grateful to our scientists, our experts for managing to do that in a short time.

I would also like to say that in the next 48 hours we expect the following items to be delivered to Ukraine from China:

– 10 million high-precision laboratory tests that will be distributed throughout Ukraine.

– 10 lung ventilators.

– 1 million masks that will be provided to Ukrainian pharmacies.

– 100 thousand heavy-duty masks for doctors and police officers.

– 400 thousand rapid tests and 10 thousand liters of disinfectant.

We will do our best to provide every citizen of Ukraine with personal protective equipment, rapid tests, disinfectants. Each of you.

To date, more than 15,000 police officers have been involved in combating the spread of coronavirus. Among other things, they will monitor the compliance by our carriers and businesses with government restrictions. But I believe that we are all conscious citizens, and constant monitoring by the police will not be necessary.

Also, the RSA Heads and mayors of large cities are commissioned to maximize the number of minibuses, buses, trolleybuses in their regions. This will help observe the 10 and 20 passenger limit.

I urge every RSA Head and every mayor to realize their personal responsibility, to actively and effectively solve transport problems in your area. This is very important for the health of all Ukrainians.

Now regarding our citizens abroad. In the last five days, we have returned more than 50,000 Ukrainian citizens. 42 flights are scheduled for today to transport home 8,000 more Ukrainians.

Yesterday I had a conversation with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. We have agreed on the mutual evacuation of Ukrainians from Canada and Canadians from Ukraine. Those who need it.

We have agreed on transit corridors with Hungary and Poland for our people to return home. And we also interact with the Polish railway. Today, five trains will depart from Przemyśl delivering about 3,000 citizens to Ukraine. A train that will return Ukrainians from Lithuania and Latvia is scheduled for tomorrow.

Everyone who returns from abroad is subject to mandatory medical examination. It is very gratifying that the vast majority consciously choose self-isolation at home for 14 days. Even though they have no symptoms. I want to thank all Ukrainians who continue to stay at home for their consciousness and sense of responsibility. Staying home helps prevent the spread of the virus and lets you and the others avoid the risk.

I also want to support the flashmob of the world and Ukrainian doctors and personally urge: “Doctors stay at work for you. Stay home for them”.

You know, I called my mom today. All these days, I ask her to stay home. And all these days she does not listen to me. She says: “Nobody will choose the right products better than me”. But in the end, I managed to convince her, and my mother agreed not to leave the house without necessity.

Friends! Call your parents, your grandparents. Bring them everything you need. Or order them the online delivery of products and pharmaceuticals. Teach them to order the online delivery themselves. Teach them to pay for utilities online. Do your best to minimize occasions of them getting outside and their contacts in stores, banks, post offices. Ask them to stay home. Don’t give the virus a chance.

Dear Ukrainians! Selfishness is a coronavirus counterpart. Today, we have no right to think only about our own needs. And we cannot allow a million Ukrainians to turn sick at the same time. No medical system in any country can sustain it. Our common goal is to minimize the spread of coronavirus. And the best way to do this is to stay home. This is how you care about the weakest. About those at risk.

Stay home and keep well, dear Ukrainians!

I wish you 36.6!

Take care of ourselves! Save Ukraine!