Ukraine will introduce technical limitations toward the arrival of a large number of pilgrims for the celebration of Rosh Hashanah due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Uman this year. Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov stated that on Friday.
“According to different calculations, about 20-50,000 people came to us during recent years for pilgrimage. Unfortunately, we cannot allow such risks currently; that is why the technical limitations will be introduced and in fact, the celebration will not take place in the form of the recent years,” Avakov said.
According to him, the Ukrainian diplomats have already held the consultations with proper governments of the countries where most of the pilgrims come from.
On August 17, the Cabinet of Ministers and State Commission on human-generated environmental disasters and the emergency situations banned Hasidim pilgrims to visit Uman in 2020.
Earlier, Mayor of Uman Oleksandr Tsebriy stood against the arrival of Hasidim in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The government predicts the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic exactly for September. That is why I stand against the visit of our city by the pilgrims this year,” Tsebriy stated.
Uman Mayor specified that he was ready to block the roads not to allow the arrival of Hasidim pilgrims for the celebration of Rosh Hashanah due to the situation with coronavirus.
Besides, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine formed the view that the arrival of the dozens of thousand of Hasidim-pilgrims in Uman for the celebration of Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah in the traditional format this year is impossible.
Later, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine stated that there is no official ban from the Ukrainian authorities for the arrival of Hasidim pilgrims in Uman.
