The number of officially confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ukraine has reached 5,710 as of 9:30 a.m. on April 20, according to Ukraine’s health ministry. In total, 151 people have died from the disease in Ukraine and 359 have recovered.
Among infected, 374 are children and 1,074 are medical workers.
Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine has identified 261 new COVID-19 cases, 82 cases less than the previous day. However, these figures may not be entirely accurate, due to problems with data reporting, the health ministry said.
Over the past 24 hours, seven Ukrainian oblasts have not provided the ministry with any information about coronavirus testing — something that likely affects the accuracy of the COVID-19 figures. Among those regions was Chernivtsi Oblast, which has the second highest concentration of cases in Ukraine.
“This is unacceptable,” Ukraine’s Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said during the briefing on April 20.
The country’s chief sanitary doctor, Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, will investigate the matter and find out why, Stepanov said.
Later on April 20, Sumy Oblast, which had not reported any testing data, announced that it had simply received the information too late to submit it on time for the morning briefing. However, the Oblast said it had recorded no new COVID-19 cases during the previous 24 hours.
According to the available data, as of April 20, the largest number of coronavirus cases in Ukraine has been registered in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast (1,183 cases), Chernivtsi Oblast (906 cases), Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (512 cases), Ternopil Oblast (414 cases) and Vinnytsia Oblast (330 cases).
On April 19, Ukraine’s Health Ministry has carried out 1,988 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the most accurate way of diagnosing COVID-19.
Ukrainians abroad
As of April 20, there are 152 Ukrainians receiving treatment for COVID-19 abroad. Fifty patients have recovered; 7 people have died.
Quarantine continues
During a briefing on April 15, Ukraine’s Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said that the government will loosen quarantine measures only when the number of newly registered cases decreases.
Earlier, on April 8, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said that quarantine measures put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 will likely be extended until May.
Europe virus outbreak: small steps to ease lockdown rules
Globally, COVID-19 has infected over 2.4 million people. In total, 165,074 people have died as the morning of April 20; 625,202 patients have recovered.
Overall, Europe is experiencing a downward trend in the number of coronavirus cases registered. Italy’s infection curve also appears to be in decline as of April 19, and the number of people with COVID-19 in hospitals in France declined for the fifth consecutive day.
On April 19, the Netherlands reported the smallest daily death toll in more than three weeks and Spain’s death toll has fallen to a one-month low.
Germany, the Czech Republic, Norway and Poland are preparing to lift some restrictions on Monday, April 20.
The largest numbers of COVID-19 cases have been identified in the U.S., Spain and Italy as of April 20.
CORONAVIRUS IN UKRAINE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- As of April 20: 151 people have died from COVID-19 in Ukraine; 359 people have recovered.
- 5,710 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine as of April 20. The first case was identified on March 3.
- Ukraine has extended its quarantine measures until April 24.
- Infographic of quarantine measures in place until April 24.
- The measures shuttered most everything but hospitals, supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, gas stations, and other critical enterprises.
- How the Ukrainian government has been responding: TIMELINE
- Misinformation on coronavirus is going viral in Ukraine.
- Doctor’s advice: How to stay safe.
- Foreign Ministry: What you need to know about traveling to and from Ukraine now
- Why the Kyiv Post isn’t making its coverage free in the times of COVID-19.
- Coronavirus stops the Kyiv Post’s print edition for now.
- Where to buy masks.
Effects on the economy:
- COVID-19 is already inflicting harm on Ukraine’s economy.
- Invisible Threat Lurks Undetected: Top stories from March 27, 2020 PDF edition.
- The former minister of economy says half a million Ukrainians may lose their jobs in the COVID-19 crisis.