Top 5 News Stories 17 May

1. On 16 May 2020, 528 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Ukraine over the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17 858, @Міністерство охорони здоров’я України reports. Of all cases, 4 906 people have recovered, and 497 people have died. Overall, 3 512 doctors and 1 269 children have become ill with COVID-19. In total, 2 221 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Kyiv. moz.gov.ua/article/news/operativna-informacija-pro-poshirennja-koronavirusnoi-infekcii-2019-ncov-1?fbclid=IwAR2aI2fFNEHoH6yQtA4o6-I5R2IIO0xOjFrC-PHjLBMjfueknuVd0sp-kQ0

2. The Shehyni-Medyka international checkpoint on the border between Ukraine and Poland resumed operation at 00.00 on 16 May, but crossing the border only on foot is allowed. Cars will not be able to cross the border, the @Державна прикордонна служба України (Ukraine’s State Border Service) reports. Vehicles can drive across the Ukrainian-Polish border at the following checkpoints: Krakovets-Korczowa, Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne, and Yahodyn-Dorohusk. unian.info/society/coronavirus-worldwide-shehyni-checkpoint-on-border-with-poland-resumes-work-10998908.html

3. The European Parliament has endorsed the European Commission’s proposal to provide Ukraine with 1.2 billion EUR worth of financial assistance to fight the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. @europeanparliament reports that 547 members of the European Parliament voted in favour of the decision that was announced at a plenary meeting in Brussels on 15 May. europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20200511IPR78816/partner-countries-get-EU3bn-in-loans-to-prop-up-economies-affected-by-pandemic

4. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, “Shopping malls should be opened after the subway resumes its operations. We need to realise that people get to work, and also to shopping malls, by public transport. Business owners in these trade centres also understand that.” According to Klitschko, the malls will be relaunched, provided that we see a drop in coronavirus cases, and both trade centre tenants and visitors strictly adhere to safety rules, the mayor’s press service reports. kyivcity.gov.ua/news/vitaliy_klichko_veliki_torgovelni_tsentri_treba_vidkrivati_pislya_vidnovlennya_roboti_metro/

5. On 15 May, another plane left from the United States for Ukraine. It is @Ukraine International Airlines UIA – Міжнародні Авіалінії України МАУ’s sixth special flight taking 72 people from New York to Kyiv. All passengers will be provided with protective masks on board as well as on arrival at @Міжнародний аеропорт “Бориспіль” to be able to safely reach home or observation points. So far, during the quarantine period, more than 1 700 people have been transported from the United States to Ukraine by special planes, and more than 1 200 people are still waiting to return, @Embassy of Ukraine in the USA / Посольство України в США reports.

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