The Ministry of Health, the National Police, and the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection must strengthen control over compliance with measures aimed at counteracting the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. 

The relevant commission was given by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Friday, June 19. 

In his opening statement, the PM accentuated that, unfortunately, another anti-record which is increasing the morbidity rate has been set in Ukraine today. "Rather numerous citizens have abandoned adhering the quarantine restrictions and decided that the coronavirus had disappeared and there was no chance of getting sick anymore. Almost a thousand patients is an extremely alarming signal for all of us. We already have two regions where the availability of beds in hospitals is under 50%," urged the Prime Minister.

According to the Head of Government, this situation "must once again signal that the coronavirus is not a fake, it is not a myth, it is a threat that is present in the surrounding

environment," and the only way to protect your health from the infection is to follow anti-epidemic rules developed by the Ministry of Health. 

"Unfortunately, local authorities, whose responsibility is to tighten quarantine restrictions, in some cases have simply decided to turn a blind eye to threats. Dear colleagues in the regions, I understand that you are already living with the thoughts about elections, but in this way, you will earn political points at the cost of people's lives," Denys Shmyhal said and added that the Government cannot and will not stand aside.

"We will intensify control over compliance with anti-epidemic measures. I appeal to Mr. Viktor Liashko. The leadership of the Ministry of Health, headed by the chief sanitary doctor, should go to the regions to exercise control. Control by the National Police and the State Food and Consumer Service will also be tightened. All the relevant meetings have been held today, and we will work harder to keep Ukrainians safe," said the Prime Minister.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister instructed the Minister of Health Maxym Stepanov and the Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov to ensure enhanced control over compliance with quarantine restrictions. 

Apart from that, Denys Shmyhal expressed his condolences to the family and relatives of Ivan Haida, the head of the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region, who had died of coronavirus.