Ukraine said on Tuesday it would limit the number of Hassidic Jews from Israel planning to enter the country for the annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Uman after Israel voiced feared the event would lead to an outbreak of coronavirus.
"At the request of the Prime Minister of Israel, a decision was made to significantly restrict the Hassidic pilgrimage to Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashana," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office said in a statement.
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It did not say how many Hassidim would be allowed into Ukraine for the event or give any further detail.
Coordinator of Israel's battle against coronavirus Professor Ronni Gamzu has asked Zelenskiy to ban the annual pilgrimage outright because of concerns the central Ukrainian town of Uman could be a hotbed of coronavirus contagion.
Zelenskiy's office has declined to comment on whether Kyiv might ban the Hassidic pilgrimage entirely, not just limit it.
Israel is among the countries from which any travelers to Ukraine must quarantine themselves for 14 days after arrival. Israel registered 230.6 new infections per 100,000 of its population last week while Ukraine's rate was 54.9.
The Ukrainian and Israeli governments have issued a joint statement pleading with Breslov Hassidim to cancel their trips, but significant numbers are still planning to go.
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