Formulation of the problem. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a serious test for all elements of society: relationships, systems and institutions operating in a given area. COVID-19 had a significant impact on the economy, social sphere and governance. Huge losses as a result of the pandemic, the fight against the spread of the coronavirus require further improvement of local government. This can be done on the basis of the analysis of research by domestic and foreign scientists, assessment of the practical activities of local governments in the fight against the pandemic.Analysis of recent studies and publications. The effectiveness of national strategies of coronavirus control is being actively studied by foreign scientists. Research (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Vienna Team of Scientists) will assess the effectiveness of various national strategies, develop forecasts and recommendations. In the articles of O. Grigorash, T. Grigorash, V. Chentsova (2020), A. Dvigun (2020), L. Fedulova (2020) were analyzed the effects of the COVID-19 on the state of economic development of Ukraine and the world.The purpose of this article is to develop ways to improve the activities of local governments in the process of the COVID-19 pandemic.Results. The study described the levels of development of strategies to combat the pandemic: international, national and local. The article identified the need to improve the legal and financial mechanisms of local government during a pandemic, offered specific recommendations for improving these mechanisms. Directions for solving the problems caused by coronavirus among representatives of the most vulnerable social groups of the population were developed. Mandatory measures for local governments should include: ensuring the availability of all types of medical care and medical care for patients with coronavirus; improvement of medical sorting protocols of patients, development of universities of the third age and others).Conclusions and prospects for further explorations. 1. The article establishes that at the local level the role of local governments in the organization of health care, social protection during a pandemic is significantly increasing.2. Improving the legal mechanism of local government involves changes in a number of legal documents on the role, functions, responsibilities, responsibilities and powers of local governments during emergencies (including during a pandemic).3. Improving the financial mechanism of local government requires justification of the number of local taxes and fees, the size of their rates, taking into account the urgent need to urgently address pressing issues of socio-economic, environmental development of the territory.4. The directions of the decision of the problems which have arisen because of a coronavirus at representatives of socially vulnerable groups of the population are developed (use of possibilities of the social order, delivery of essentials, the organization of material and social help, development of specialized programs of help to socially vulnerable groups), etc. The prospect of further exploration is to improve the regulatory and legal mechanism of local government during emergencies, including pandemics by making proposals to the Law of Ukraine «On Local Government».