What did Ukraine's entry ban mean on 16 March 2020?
A look back at the day Ukraine barred foreign nationals from entering, days into a nationwide quarantine and after its first COVID-19 death.
What did it mean for Ukraine to close its borders to foreigners on 16 March 2020? From 00:00 that day, the country barred foreign nationals and stateless persons from entering its territory until 3 April. The measure was the latest step in a rapid sequence of restrictions.
A quarantine already in place
The entry ban came five days after the Cabinet of Ministers introduced a nationwide quarantine on 11 March 2020. It ran from 12 March to 3 April, the same end date later applied to the entry ban. Mass events of more than 200 people were prohibited, and kindergartens and educational institutions were closed. As reported at the time, the government said some sporting events might still go ahead, but without spectators.
The alignment of dates shows a single framework: one expiry date for domestic restrictions and for the border measure. Both were set to be reviewed at the start of April.
The first death
On 13 March 2020, Ukraine's Ministry of Healthcare reported the country's first death from COVID-19, a 71-year-old woman from Radomyshl, in Zhytomyr region. The border ban followed three days later.
A regional pattern
Ukraine's decisions came as neighbours and other European states were also tightening controls. On 12 March 2020, Slovakia ordered all its borders closed to non-residents, shut its international airports and closed schools. Poland suspended schools and universities for two weeks, closed theatres, operas, cinemas and museums, and banned mass events. The Polish Football Association said its friendly matches with Finland and Ukraine later that month would be played behind closed doors.
On 10 March 2020, Poland's Ministry of National Defence announced that General Commander Jarosław Mika had tested positive after returning from Germany, making him NATO's highest-ranking armed forces member to be infected.
What the day showed
By 16 March 2020, Ukraine had moved within days from limiting gatherings and closing schools to restricting entry to the country. The sequence ran from the quarantine decision on 11 March, through the first reported death on 13 March, to the entry ban. The common end date of 3 April tied the measures together, and the stated purpose of the quarantine was to respond to the outbreak of the virus worldwide.
