Euro 2012 safety and security report - SOS International

16 Euro 2012 safety and security report
Donetsk
Donetsk Regional Trauma Hospital
106 Artyom Street
Donetsk 340048
Tel: +380 (0) 62 2551 141
Lviv
Sheptytsky Hospital
4 Ozarkevycha Street
Lviv
Tel: +380 (0) 32 2726 869
Kharkiv
Oblast Clinic Hospital
Prospect Pravdy 13
Kharkiv 61022
Tel: +380 (0) 57 7050 187
Influenza A (H1N1)/swine flu was reported in the
Ukraine in June 2009, and has since left scores of
people dead and thousands more infected across the
country. Authorities responded to the rapid spread of
the disease by placing partial restrictions on domestic
travel and introducing quarantine measures in
Ukraine’s nine western oblasts.
In December 2005, the H5N1 strain of bird flu was
reported in Crimea. Further outbreaks followed in 2006
in marshlands near the Sea of Azov. In January 2008,
another outbreak of the virus was detected at a poultry
farm in the Krasnogvardiyskyi Rayon in Crimea. Travellers
are advised to check with health officials prior to
travel to the affected areas. It is advisable to avoid
contact with all forms of poultry, including wild birds,
while in Ukraine.
There is a risk of tick-borne encephalitis in some areas
of the country below 1,400 metres, particularly the
mountain forest zone of Crimea. Crimean haemorrhagic
fever has also been reported in the country in
the past. Diphtheria is endemic to Ukraine, except the
Poltava region, while rabies, hepatitis A, hepatitis B,
tetanus, tuberculosis and typhoid may also be a risk.
In addition, the country has one of the highest rates of
HIV/AIDS infection in Europe.
The risk of radioactive contamination from the 1986
accident at Chernobyl is low outside the exclusion
zone immediately around the Chernobyl facility. Milk,
wild berries, mushrooms, and wild fowl and game from
the Chernobyl region should be avoided, as these
have been found to retain higher than average levels
of radiation. Do not drink tap water; only bottled water
or boiled water should be drunk, and ice should be
avoided. Visitors are also advised against consuming
food or beverages obtained from street vendors.
Money
In Poland, the official currency is the zloty. Foreign
currency can be exchanged easily at banks, bureaux
de change (locally called Kantor) and hotel reception
desks in towns and cities countrywide. Traveller’s
cheques are accepted at most Polish banks and larger
shops. Credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs
(bankomats) are plentiful. There have been some reports
of ATMs not accepting Maestro and VisaElectron
cards issued by foreign banks; however, Polish banks
are reportedly working to remedy this problem.
In Ukraine, the official currency is the hryvnia (UAH).
US dollars and euros are readily exchangeable in
major cities, and Britsh pounds to a lesser extent.
Travellers should only use official bureaux de change.
ATMs are available and credit cards are widely used,
but not universally accepted, in major cities. Outside
cities, travellers should carry sufficient funds in local
currency. Credit card and ATM fraud, as well as money
scams, are widespread. Hence, although credit card
and ATM use is increasingly common, it is strongly
recommended that visitors to Ukraine refrain from
using credit or debit cards except at major, reputable
establishments.