Business Owners In Ukraine's Odessa Protest Against COVID-19 Restrictions - Reports

Business owners in Ukraine's Odessa took to streets to protest against the toughening of COVID-19 restrictions, demanding compensation and exemption from paying rent, local media reported on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2021) Business owners in Ukraine's Odessa took to streets to protest against the toughening of COVID-19 restrictions, demanding compensation and exemption from paying rent, local media reported on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Odessa region was declared a "red" quarantine zone. New restrictions include complete closure of shopping and entertainment centers, cinemas and restaurants. The government's decision was prompted by the sharp uptick in the numbers of registered coronavirus cases.

The Ukrainian government announced its plans to reimburse business owners in the "red" quarantine zones in the amount of 8,000 hryvnia (about $290).

According to the Hromadske.tv news agency, the protesters believe these payments are not enough to cover the losses.

Ukraine first imposed country-wide quarantine in March 2020. In May, the government introduced a new format of "quarantine zones" that allowed regional authorities to place local restrictions based on the COVID-19 infection rates.

On Tuesday, Ukraine registered a new peak of coronavirus-related deaths 333 people. Out of over 11,000 newly infected, 2,519 were hospitalized.