Believers, basically Israelis, but also Americans and French, left for Ouman this year despite the fact that the Ukrainian and Israeli governments suggested last month not to do so due to the pandemic.
An Israeli minister on Thursday asked those gathered at the border to return home and respect quarantine regulations when they arrive in Israel.
Kiev closed its borders no more in September, resulting in an increasing number of coronavirus infections, but pilgrims tried to circumvent restrictions by traveling through Belarus.
Ukrainian border guards said Friday that they had arrested several pilgrims, adding Israeli and U. S. citizens, who had to enter the country illegally from Hungary, Poland and Romania.
Kiev has reported more than 169,000 cases of coronavirus and 3,468 deaths. On Thursday, authorities recorded a record increase in infections in one day.
The impasse on the border has annoyed the already strained ties between Kiev and Minsk, which swapped beards for the contested presidential elections in Belarus last month.
A strongman from Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, previously told his officials to negotiate a hall with Ukraine and showed up to supply buses to send devoted believers to holy places in Ukraine.
Kiev, in turn, accused the Belarusian government of giving The False Hasidic pilgrims hope that they would eventually be allowed to enter Ouman.
Ukraine and Israel are ready for an increase in coronavirus infections, Israel on Friday imposed a momentary national blockade to combat one of the world’s highest rates of coronavirus infection, despite public protests opposing the new blow to the economy.
The three-week closing began on Friday afternoon, a few hours before Rosh Hashaná, the Jewish New Year.
Meanwhile, up to 3,000 Hasidic Jews arrived in Ulaanch for celebrations in Ukraine before the ban, police said.
Security forces reinforced security near the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, where pilgrims gathered.