Coronavirus barricades: how they protest in Ukraine over quarantine of compatriots returning from China

In the Ukrainian village of Novye Sanzhary in the Poltava region, local residents staged riots. They oppose the placement of compatriots evacuated from China in a local sanatorium, because they fear the spread of the coronavirus COVID-2019. Authorities sent to the village of the National Guard.

Yury Sulaev, a regional police spokesman, said locals blocked nearby roads all night. According to him, at some point clashes between law enforcement officers and protesters began. Also, local residents blocked the road.

“Residents of New Sanjar almost all night blocked the roadway to the village. They protest, received information that people from China will call on them, and they are categorically against this, with this problem they went to a protest rally. In the morning, when police officers asked people to stop the offenses and unblock the road, some of the citizens showed some aggressiveness and refused to comply with the lawful demands of the police and clashes with the police started, ”112 Ukraine quoted him as saying.

Ukraine evacuated 72 people from China - 45 of its citizens and 27 foreigners. The plane arrived at Kharkov airport, from where people would be taken to the sanatorium of the National Guard “New Sanzhary”.

• National Guard of Ukraine in Novy Sanzhary

Moreover, the protests took place not only in New Sanjary. Until the last moment, the Ukrainian authorities did not report exactly where the quarantine place for arrivals from China would be arranged. So, residents of the village of Konoptovka, Ternopil region, built barricades at the entrance to the village: they dug ditches, put concrete blocks and car tires. They opposed the placement of evacuated Ukrainians in the Medobory sanatorium.

Similar situations also occurred in the village of Kozin near Kiev and in the city of Vinniki, Lviv region.

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky addressed the protesters. “Attempts to block routes, block hospitals, and prevent Ukrainian citizens from entering Ukraine — this is far from showing the best side of our character. Especially when you consider that most passengers are people who are less than 30 years old. For many of us, they are almost like children. A Ukrainian always remains a Ukrainian, ”he said.

At the same time, he assured that the authorities had taken all security measures and the sanatorium where quarantine would be organized would become "probably the most protected facility in the country."

Evacuation of Russians

Earlier, Russia evacuated its citizens from the Chinese province of Hubei, where in December 2019 an outbreak of a new coronavirus began. In addition to them, representatives of the CIS countries (including Ukraine) were also taken aboard the aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who also turned to Russian diplomats. A total of 144 people were taken out of the PRC.

They spent two weeks of quarantine in a specially equipped center in the Tyumen region. None of them was found to have a coronavirus, and therefore they were released on February 19.

Quarantine that day ended on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Of the 3,700 passengers and personnel, 621 people were infected with the coronavirus, including three Russians. In total, there were 24 citizens of the Russian Federation on board the vessel.

• How is the evacuation of passengers of the cruise ship Diamond Princess

As noted at the Russian Embassy in Tokyo, Russians who have found the coronavirus feel normal, and the disease proceeds without symptoms.

“As a result of a check carried out by Japanese doctors, the coronavirus was diagnosed in two more Russian citizens. In the near future they will be taken to the hospital, where they will be provided with the necessary medical care. Russians are feeling fine. The course of the disease is without pronounced symptoms, ”the diplomatic mission says on Facebook.

The embassy also said that four more Russians left the ship. A day earlier, on Wednesday, February 19, two Russians went home. Two more citizens of the Russian Federation are already in Japanese medical facilities - one man has found the virus, and his wife is at high risk of the disease, and therefore she is under the supervision of doctors.

“We continue to maintain constant contact with compatriots who are currently in medical institutions in Japan. Our citizens feel normal, ”the embassy said.

Disease peak passed

A new type of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December last year. The disease can occur with mild symptoms, but it can also cause pneumonia and shortness of breath, even death. There is currently no vaccine from the new coronavirus.

In total, over 75 thousand cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in the world. The vast majority of them - over 74.5 thousand - in China. According to the State Health Committee of the PRC, in China more than 2.1 thousand people died from it. Significantly higher number of recovered - about 16.1 thousand.

Coronavirus has been reported in many countries of the world, including Europe and the USA. Many cases have been confirmed in Asia. However, there is no evidence that a new coronavirus has been detected in Africa or South America.

Moreover, according to Chinese experts, the peak of the epidemic has already been passed. The corresponding study was published on February 17 by the scientific journal Chinese Journal of Epidemiology. According to the data presented, in most people the disease proceeds in a mild form, and only elderly patients, as well as those who have other diseases, are at risk.

The mortality rate from COVID-2019 is about 2.7%. This is three times less than that of a severe acute respiratory syndrome, known as SARS, which became widespread in China in 2002.