Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's cabinet voted on Wednesday to impose a national lockdown on weekends to strengthen steps to curb the rapid spread of the coronavirus, Reuters reports.

Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said the weekend lockdown would be in force from Nov. 14 till Nov. 30.

The decision will mean closing or restricting the activity of most businesses at weekends with the exception of grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals and transport.

“If nothing is done, then on Dec. 10 or Dec. 15, the medical system will no longer be able to receive people, there will be no places in hospitals even in the corridors,” Shmygal told a cabinet meeting. “The task is to reduce the flow of people at weekends; (those who) can stay at home should stay at home.”

The former Soviet republic had registered a total of 489,808 coronavirus cases as of Wednesday, with 8,947 deaths and 221,459 recoveries.