From August 7, 2021, citizens of Ukraine can cross the Ukrainian-Hungarian border without restrictions imposed in connection with the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.
According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, for the entry of citizens into Hungary, the requirements determined by the Schengen Borders Code (biometric passport/visa, medical insurance valid in Europe, financial security) remain.
“An exception is entry into Hungary by air, in particular it additionally requires a negative PCR test result for COVID-19, a test should be made no later than 72 hours at the time of entry, or a Ukrainian or Hungarian vaccination certificate [together with citizens who have a certificate, children under 18 can also enter without restrictions],” the report said.
For transit through the country, representatives of the Hungarian border authority may additionally require documents confirming the right to enter the country of destination (depending on the requirements of a particular country: residence permit, work visa, hotel booking, virus test results, etc.).
The service also recalled that the Hungarian competent authorities, in accordance with the current legislation, impose administrative fines on foreigners who have exceeded the permitted period of stay in the Schengen countries before the introduction of quarantine measures by these countries (a fine from 5,000 to 50,000 forints/$15-150).
If the period of stay in the countries of the Schengen zone has ended after the introduction of quarantine measures by these countries in order to avoid a fine, citizens who cross the Hungarian border must documentary proof to the Hungarian competent authorities that they were in quarantine, or that documents for the extension of the permit period have been submitted to the relevant authority, etc. (there must be a document from an official body).
At the same time, each case is subject to careful scrutiny and is considered on an individual basis.
Since Monday, August 9, the Finnish authorities have opened an entrance for tourists from Ukraine, according to an interactive resource of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
“From August 9, 2021, passenger traffic between Finland and Ukraine will be normalized. All citizens of Ukraine [without exceptions] who arrive in Finland on a direct flight from Ukraine, or in transit through countries that are also included in a ‘green list’ of Finland, will be allowed to enter the territory of the country. However, quarantine requirements remain in force,” the message says.
It is specified that, in particular, all persons arriving from any third countries (including Ukraine) and who have completed a full course of vaccination against COVID-19 are exempt from mandatory testing and quarantine, provided that 14 days have passed since inoculation with the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Finland recognizes the following vaccines: Comirnaty (Pfizer-BionTech), COVID-19 Vaccine Spikevax (formerly Moderna), Vaxzevria (formerly COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca), COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen (Johnson& Johnson), BnsonIBP Sinopharm COVISHIELD, CoronaVac,” the Foreign Ministry said.
They emphasize that citizens of Ukraine who do not have confirmation of the full course of vaccination while crossing the state border of Finland must provide a certificate confirming the receipt of the first dose of the vaccine, which is recognized by Finland (it is mandatory to undergo a PCR test within 72 hours after arriving in Finland), a certificate confirming a negative result of a PCR test made in Ukraine, which was made no later than 72 hours before crossing the border (in this case, it is mandatory to undergo a PCR test 72 hours after arrival in Finland).
“Without the presence of the above documents or in the presence of confirmation that the person has had COVID-19, citizens of Ukraine will be sent to undergo a PCR test at the border control point. It is mandatory to undergo a PCR test within 72 hours after arriving in Finland,” the ministry said.
The ministry said that taking two PCR tests after arriving in Finland is free for all travelers.
The Ukrainian national team took the 44th position in the overall medal standings of the Olympic Games, which ended in Tokyo on Sunday.
A total of 153 Ukrainian athletes earned 19 Olympic medals: one gold, six silver and 12 bronze medals.
In overall medal totals, Ukraine took the 16th position in the world ranking, and also surpassed the result of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Then the Ukrainian athletes earned 11 Olympic medals (two gold, four silver and five bronze medals).
The medal count, which is most influenced by gold medals, was topped by the U.S. team, which lagged behind leading China for a long time.
The U.S. team earned 39 gold, 40 silver and 33 bronze medals. The second place was taken by China (38-32-18). The third place was taken by Japan, the host country of the Olympics (27-14-17).
Ukrainian Olympians earned medals in Greco-Roman wrestling, artistic swimming, canoe rowing, boxing, high jump, karate, cycle track, freestyle wrestling and swimming.
By the end of 2021, another 17 million doses of the American Pfizer vaccine will arrive in Ukraine, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Ihor Kuzin said in an interview with Radio Liberty on Saturday.
“By the end of the year, Ukraine will receive another 17 million of Pfizer,” he said.
At the same time, Kuzin stressed that the coronavirus outbreak may occur earlier this vaccine reaches the country. Therefore, the chief state sanitary doctor of Ukraine does not advise waiting for the opportunity to choose, but getting vaccinated as soon as possible with the vaccine that is available now.
Earlier it was reported that as of August 7, more than 4 million people were vaccinated in Ukraine.
Grain crops traffic on the Dnipro River in January-July 2021 decreased by 23.8% compared to the same period in 2020, to 1.19 million tonnes, the total cargo traffic on the river increased by 38.7%, to 6.5 million tonnes, the river information service of the state-owned enterprise Delta-Pilot (Mykolaiv) said on its website last week.
According to the service, construction materials traffic over the specified period doubled, to 4.66 million tonnes, metal products traffic decreased 15.7%, to 733,000 tonnes.
In general, in January-July 2021, 7,803 trips were made on the Dnipro River, which is 58.4% more than in the same period in 2020.
Delta-Pilot is a branch of the state-owned enterprise Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA). The river information service of the enterprise provides data on navigation, the state of navigable inland waterways of Ukraine, as well as factors affecting navigation conditions in the area of operation of the service on the Dnipro and Danube rivers.
Attempts by the authorities to limit the list of places for the sale of alcohol and tobacco products, contained in bill No. 5805, registered on July 19 by MP Heorhiy Mazurashu (Servant of the People faction), will lead to an increase in the price of these products, and create additional financial burden for business, therefore it should be rejected, the European Business Association (EBA) said on its website on Friday.
According to the explanatory note to the document, the bill proposes to limit the sale of beer (except non-alcohol), alcohol, low-alcohol beverages, table wines, tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, liquids used in electronic cigarettes, devices for consuming tobacco products without heating them only to specialized fixed outlets (shops) where no other goods are sold than those listed above.
The association noted that this legislative initiative will require capital investments from businesses to equip separate sales outlets, which will lead to an increase in the price of legal products and an increase in the price gap between counterfeit and legal goods.
In this regard, the EBA appealed to parliamentarians with a request not to support such amendments and to reject bill No. 5805 during consideration.
“The number of official sales outlets may significantly decrease, or even disappear altogether, and thus encourage the consumption of counterfeit products. Questions are also raised about the timing of the proposed amendments. It is envisaged that the law will enter into force on the next day after its publication. Since it is physically impossible to create a place of trade in one day, this will stop the sale of alcohol and tobacco products in Ukraine for a long time,” the association said.
The EBA also notes that the proposed amendments may limit competition between business entities in the Ukrainian market. According to it, in most EU countries, there is no such experience of restricting trade in alcohol and tobacco products. In addition, there are no separate rules for regulating the sale of alcohol and tobacco products in public catering establishments.
“The bill does not take into account an assessment of financial and economic consequences of the introduction of such amendments for business and the state, for example, budget losses from a decrease in the number of licenses for retail trade in tobacco and alcohol products,” Svitlana Mykhailovska, the EBA Deputy Director for Advocacy, said.
According to her, the EBA shares the desire of the MP to minimize the impact of binge drinking and smoking on the nation’s health, but the proposed method is selective and inconsistent. In addition, the association did not see in the context of bill No. 5805 an analysis of law enforcement practice and statistical data, which would indicate the ineffectiveness and insufficiency of existing restrictions and bans on the sale of alcohol beverages and tobacco products.
