Vdoma, the Ukrainian application “AntiCovid” is worse than the French

To see the family or drink a cheap and good beer, you sometimes have to go to Ukraine. The country has recently gone from orange to green in the French government’s list, so it is no longer necessary to prove a compelling reason to travel to the largest country in Europe. Note first that Ukraine is a country a little less affected by COVID than France with 56,000 deaths for 44 million inhabitants against 113,000 deaths for 67 million. It is a country which is also little vaccinated 7% of the population had two doses against 55% in France.

Young republic, old habits

Ukraine did not have the right to its application of “contact tracing” to the TousAntiCovid, but it is a country which monitors its borders. An old habit which dates back to the Soviet Union and which is unlikely to change when we know that the former Russian “big brothers” next door stole from them the 27,000 km² that Crimea represents (the equivalent of any Brittany).

In short, a Ukrainian customs officer is no joke and we have had further proof of this in August 2021, just right for the 30 years of the young republic. To go to Ukraine therefore, you have to show a negative test to the French authorities, but this money is useless once you arrive there. Ukrainians are not going to bother downloading TousAntiCovid Verif and we understand them. The European QR code does not apply either: Ukraine is not in the EU. The solution ? Do a test on the spot. It is possible to take a test directly at the airport, but you have 72 hours to comply anyway. How do the authorities verify this? This is where it gets interesting …

“At home”: that’s for sure!

Travelers, foreigners and Ukrainians alike, should download Vdoma (Вдома), an application for Android or iOS that you trigger upon arrival. What is not explained on the diplomatie.gouv site is that you must activate it before going through customs and show that it works to the customs officer who checks the passports. No way to chomp with a “But I don’t have internet on my phone, I just arrived”, or “I’ll do it at home, brother promise”. In our case, we had to step aside and download the app with free WiFi from Kiev airport.

And there, it’s a shock: the app is in Ukrainian and if it is possible to set it to English, only the notifications are in the language of Phil Collins. With some notions in Russian, it’s fine (or Polish if you can decipher Cyrillic), but for passing foreigners, nothing can help you. And you will not have to rely on the customs officer, who is not really receptive to your ignorance. Once activated, the application displays a sort of very anxiety-provoking countdown. You have 72 hours to take your test. When he sees that the application is activated, the customs officer gives us a thumbs up and signals us that “it’s okay”. He finally smiles Sergei.

The countdown is here to remind you to go get tested and even if you haven’t had your coffee yet, the app may ask you to prove you’re in your quarantine zone.

And it’s not over !

And that’s not all since Vdoma asks for permissions during the installation: camera, geolocation and telephone. Ha? The goal is simple: don’t let go!
You will not be allowed to leave within a radius of about 300 meters during 10 days of quarantine. Two exceptions to this: you are tested negative within 72 hours and you will no longer have any restrictions or you can exit this area for 2 hours a day with a stopwatch to be activated in your hand.

And Vdoma does not shout, the app will randomly ask you to take a photo of yourself at your home to prove that you are not admiring the beauties of Soviet architecture. This is not a photo by the way, but a facial capture process where you will be asked to turn your head to different sides until the app confirms that you are recognizable and visible. interior.

If you forget to do it because your cell phone is left in your bag for example, you will then receive slightly threatening notifications: “You may be violating your quarantine”. Ditto if you switch to airplane mode or your activity is suspicious.

To be safe, there is only one solution: the PCR or antigen test taken in a laboratory for the price of 700 hryvnias. 23 €, or the equivalent of 17 pints in a bar in Kiev (and yes, you were told it was cheap). The next day, with the passport number you entered in the app, you will receive a notification. The countdown stops: you are saved!

If you are positive, you will have to continue your quarantine and see a doctor. In any case, travelers who wish to go to Ukraine must absolutely have specific insurance so that any medical costs are covered. That, France should be inspired by, but that’s another story. If you don’t play the game and decide not to get tested, chances are you will be in trouble with customs on the return. And if there’s one thing you learn quickly in Ukraine, it’s that you don’t laugh with the guy who has the Kalashnikov.

The quarantine lasts 10 days and you have the right to leave your department for 2 hours a day until you receive the notification that “frees” you. Negative test.