Ukrainian Returnees Flee Kiev Airport Before Forced Quarantine

March 30, 2020

Kiev (dpa) - Ukrainian passengers returning from Thailand were seen fleeing an airport terminal in the capital Kiev on Sunday in an apparent attempt at avoiding two compulsory weeks of quarantine.

The Ukrainian citizens had been ordered to cover the costs of their own 14-night quarantine at a hotel, after being flown in on a chartered flight from Thailand, according to local media.

The latest repatriated citizens, whose location is now thought to be unknown, are among tens of thousands to have returned in the past two weeks from high-risk areas such as Italy and Spain.

Footage shared on social media shows passengers wearing face masks and carrying suitcases forcing open terminal doors to get past officials in protective gear.

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky has announced a forced isolation of all those returning home in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Kiev has already closed its borders to foreign nationals for almost two weeks and halted regular air and rail connections.

After criticism for the lack of quarantine measures for citizens returning from abroad, the government has ordered all returnees to undergo two weeks of quarantine.

According to official figures, 475 people in Ukraine have been infected with the virus so far and 10 have died of the Covid-19 lung disease caused by it.

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