Ukraine lifts lockdown rules for Orthodox Easter

After one month of tighter lockdown rules in Ukraine's capital, coronavirus measures were lifted in Kyiv ahead of Orthodox Easter celebrations.

From Saturday, May 1, public transport resumed without restrictions, while all cafes, restaurants and entertainment centres were allowed to reopen.

In the afternoon people came to Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a Russian Orthodox Church, to consecrate Easter food.

Most of them were not wearing masks.

One of the church's priests blessed the believers by smearing a brush dipped in holy water across their faces and mouths.

Children will return to in-person schooling on May 5.

Workers and volunteers at the SVOI charity foundation, which provides oxygen concentrators to hospital outpatients, were worried about the lifting of restrictions.

Iryna Koshkina, the charity's executive director, said the government had prioritised the hospitality sector over public health.

Ivan Volovenko, 76, was returning an oxygen concentrator to SVOI.

His mother had just died of COVID-19, while he and his brother also suffered with the virus.

"Our society doesn't have a habit of discipline. They know they are sick but they go. They need to go to the bar, they need to go to cafe, to the shop or to the market," he explained.

In Kyiv, 671 new cases of the virus were registered on Friday, 200 more than at the beginning of April when authorities set the tighter restrictions.

Nationwide there were more than 8,500 new infections confirmed over the past 24 hours.