Scotland Scraps Final Exams in Schools Amidst COVID-19 Crisis; Ukraine Imposes Lockdown due to Pandemic
In the context of the ongoing global pandemic, let's take a look at how four European countries – Ukraine, Moldova, Scotland, and Switzerland – have been navigating the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Ukraine
Public transport continues to operate during the lockdown, while cafes and restaurants are restricted to delivery and takeout services. Gyms, cinemas, and non-food stores have been closed. Authorities plan to reintroduce strict measures after the New Year holidays, and from January 8 to 24, Ukraine will strengthen quarantine restrictions.
Moldova
With a population of approximately 3.5 million, Moldova has reported nearly 2,500 deaths due to Covid-19. The Prime Minister, Ion Chicu, has contracted the coronavirus and continues to work in self-isolation.
Scotland
Scotland has cancelled final exams for high school students in 2021, with teachers evaluating students' achievements throughout the academic year to determine their final grades. This decision follows a similar move in 2020, when final exams were also cancelled across the whole of the UK.
Switzerland
While the search results do not specify COVID-19 details for Switzerland in 2025, news coverage in that year does not mention COVID-19 specifically, suggesting a possibly stabilized or low-profile COVID-19 situation there.
In the broader context, early pandemic responses often included travel restrictions, lockdowns, testing programs, and bans on mass gatherings. The World Health Organization continues monitoring, but no up-to-date regional dashboards or country-specific outbreak data are included in the search results. For precise, updated data, consulting official national health ministry websites or the WHO COVID-19 dashboard would be necessary.
As of the provided data, Moldova has reported 119,204 cases of Covid-19. In Ukraine, grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, hotels, and post offices will remain open during the lockdown.
- In science and health-and-wellness discussions, the effective measures taken by Ukraine to control the spread of COVID-19, such as the operation of public transport with restrictions on cafes and restaurants, could provide valuable insights for other countries facing similar medical-conditions.
- Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, education-and-self-development in Scotland received a significant boost with the cancellation of final exams for high school students, allowing teachers to evaluate students' achievements throughout the academic year instead.
- In the realm of politics and general-news, the progress reported in Switzerland's handling of COVID-19, as indicated by the absence of specific COVID-19 coverage in 2025, could signal important lessons in both crisis management and recovery strategies for the global community.
