Hundreds of Ukrainians Stuck at Polish Border Amid Virus Exodus

(Bloomberg) -- Hundreds of Ukrainians trying to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic are stuck on the country’s western border with Poland, with the government in Kyiv set to shut crossings from Saturday.

Workers who flocked to higher-paying jobs in Europe in recent years are now scrambling to get back before their homeland is sealed off. Poland says about 27,000 left Thursday.

But while people across the continent are being instructed to practice social distancing, pictures from the border show long lines and tightly packed crowds. Ukraine says citizens will be able to cross by car or on foot even after midnight Saturday.

The country, which has 218 confirmed coronavirus cases, evacuated more than 58,000 of its citizens from abroad after imposing restrictions on commercial flights on March 17.

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