With 76% of coronavirus unit beds occupied in Ukraine, authorities fear the country cannot make it to the Christmas holidays without imposing a major lockdown.

With 76% of coronavirus unit beds occupied in Ukraine, authorities fear the country cannot make it to the Christmas holidays without imposing a major lockdown. One option would be to impose a lockdown after schools let out in three weeks for the Christmas break, on Friday afternoon Dec. 18. Arsen Avakov, Ukraine’s powerful Interior Minister, argues for an earlier, faster lockdown. “We need to introduce a lockdown as soon as possible, for three to four weeks,” he said on Ukraine 24 TV. “We are talking about really systemic, huge risks to our people’s health.”