Ukraine to close borders to foreigners until end of September

Ukraine will close its borders to foreigners until the end of September, but some categories of foreigners will be allowed to enter the country, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

He said this at a government meeting on Wednesday, August 26, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Today, the government will consider closing the borders to foreign citizens almost until the end of September, of course, except for foreigners who have residence permits in Ukraine," Shmyhal said.

According to him, the restriction will also not apply to foreigners who are members of international and humanitarian missions.

The Cabinet of Ministers has repeatedly called on all pilgrims who plan to take part in this year's Rosh Hashanah celebrations in Ukraine to refrain from visiting the city of Uman due to the threatening epidemic situation.

"Unfortunately, we will have to make a decision to ban such mass events in the city of Uman. This is our responsibility, and we should not create additional huge risks for Ukrainians, and not only for them, but also for citizens of other countries," Shmyhal said.

As of August 26, Ukraine recorded 110,085 cases of COVID-19, including 1,670 new cases reported on August 25. A total of 2,354 patients died from COVID-19 and 53,454 people recovered.

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