Ukraine completes tough COVID lockdown with optimistic expectations

FILE PHOTO: Women walk past an installation showing a protective face mask amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Kyiv, Ukraine December 28, 2020. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine reopens schools, restaurants and gyms on Monday, ending a tough lockdown introduced on Jan. 8 to prevent a new wave of coronavirus infections, Ukrainian authorities said.

The number of new daily cases in Ukraine has significantly decreased, from around 6,000 to 9,000 at the start of the year, to 2,516 on Monday (Jan 25). The figure was the lowest since early September last year.