KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine on Friday obliged visitors from countries affected by the COVID-19 Delta variant take a mandatory antigen test, the health ministry said.
The test must be passed by all travellers from Britain, India, Russia and Portugal in a bid to prevent the spread of the new infections.
The test is also required for travellers who have spent at least seven days in those countries in the last two weeks. If the test is positive, the traveller will not be allowed into Ukraine.
The health officials have said a speedy vaccination could help the country to avoid new wave of the epidemic cased by the Delta variant, the first two cases of which were registered in Ukraine this week.
Ukraine, which has been recording a significant decline in new infections, earlier this month significantly relaxed travel requirements and lifted many of its domestic restrictions though extended some lockdown measures until Aug. 31.
Ukraine reported 876 new cases over the past 24 hours while the total number of infections reached 2.23 million with 52,234 deaths as of June 25.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
