Medics participate in a coronavirus response exercise at a hospital in Kiev, Ukraine, on February 28. Credit: Stringer/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Ukraine has approved measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus including a three-week quarantine for all schools and a ban on gatherings of more than 200 people.

Gatherings of "state importance" may be exempt and sporting events may take place without spectators, according to a statement on the government's website.

The statement did not specify when the measures would come into force.

Ukraine's capital Kiev will introduce "anti-epidemic measures" from Thursday until the end of March, the city's mayor Vitali Klitschko said Wednesday.

The measures listed by Klitschko include:

Shutting down kindergartens, schools, and universities.

Restricting mass gatherings and events, including conferences and concerts.

Closing movie theaters.

Installing "high security and doctor patrols" at shopping malls.

“Friends, don’t panic,” said the mayor in his statement. “We have to be responsible and keep the hygiene protocol. If you’re not feeling well, see the doctor at once.

“Considering the global environment, and the dynamics of the spread coronavirus, there is potential for the state of emergency in the capital."

Ukraine has one case of the virus reported earlier this month, and Kiev has none.