Ukraine's transport curbs and new schools law, March 2020
A look back at the measures reported on 18 March 2020, as Ukraine moved to limit the spread of coronavirus and a new education law took effect.
What did Ukraine do to slow the spread of coronavirus as the middle of March 2020 approached? By 19 March 2020, the answer had been reported a day earlier, on 18 March, and it was far-reaching for daily life across the country.
As reported on 18 March 2020, rail, bus and air services across the country were suspended to limit the spread of the infection. The metro was being closed, while minibuses, trolleybuses and trams were to keep running only with restrictions.
The same day, a separate piece of legislation took effect: the law "On Complete General Secondary Education" came into force. It was reported alongside the transport restrictions, a reminder that routine reform work continued even as emergency measures reshaped public life.
Together, the two developments marked a day on which Ukraine's public institutions were handling both the immediate demands of the health crisis and a long-planned change in the legal framework for schooling.
