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| - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday urged the government to shut down public transport including the metro and close bars, restaurants and malls to stem the spread of the coronavirus. In a video posted on Facebook, Zelensky put forward proposals that the government will consider later Monday. "We will act harshly, urgently, perhaps unpopularly," said the former comedian who took office last year. He urged the closure of arts venues, shopping centres, restaurants and cafes. He also called on the infrastructure ministry to ban local and intercity rail, air and bus services and "ban metros," the president stated. Three cities in Ukraine have metro systems: Kiev, Kharkiv and Dnipro. Zelensky also called for a ban of mass events with more than ten people participating. Ukraine has officially confirmed five cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and one death, none of them in Kiev. Ukraine has already implemented drastic preventative measures including banning entry to foreigners, and it will stop all flights to and from the country from Tuesday. It has also closed schools and universities and banned major public events. "We need to buy time. We must reduce the chances of the virus spreading through the capital," Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said in a statement earlier the day. He advised residents to avoid public transport unless absolutely necessary. Ukraine's other major cities, from Lviv in the west to the southern port of Odessa, have closed museums and swimming pools. The country's parliament is to hold an extraordinary session on Tuesday to consider further steps. dg-osh/am/pma
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