Ukraine's transport curbs and a new school law, March 2020
A look back at two measures reported on 18 March 2020: restrictions on travel to limit coronavirus spread, and a new law on general secondary education.
What did Ukraine's public life look like as of 20 March 2020? Two measures reported on 18 March 2020 framed it.
The first was aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus infection. Rail, bus and air services across the country were suspended, and the metro was to close. Minibuses, trolleybuses and trams were to keep running, but only with restrictions. Taken together, the steps covered nearly every major mode of public transport, and their stated purpose was containment.
The second was unrelated to the epidemic: the law "On Complete General Secondary Education" came into force on 18 March 2020. It entered the statute book on the same day that movement across the country was being curtailed.
The two developments show a government handling an emergency while ordinary legislative business continued. The transport restrictions changed daily routines for people across the country, while the education law was a structural reform of the school system that became binding in the same period.
