COVID-19 cases rise to 804 in Ukraine, with 20 dead

The number of officially confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ukraine has reached 804 as of 10 a.m. on April 2, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.

Twenty people have been killed by the disease, an increase of three since the morning of April 1. Thirteen people have recovered from the virus as of early April 2. 

Among the people who died were 15 women and 5 men, Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said during his morning briefing on April 2. He said that all of them were older than 50, although it was reported earlier that a 33-year-old woman was among the Ukrainians who died from COVID-19. According to Lyashko, most of the victims had underlying conditions, including heart diseases, diabetes, tumors, lung or kidneys diseases.

In total, 135 new cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Ukraine since April 1. 

According to Lyashko, 398 people infected with coronavirus in Ukraine are hospitalized. Only one patient currently undergoes lung ventilation.

Apart from that, the very first confirmed COVID-19 case has been recorded in Ukraine’s Armed Forces. On April 2, the military medical command said that an unidentified female doctor from the Khmelnytsky Military Hospital had been receiving ambulatory treatment for acute respiratory disease since late March. After her condition deteriorated, she was hospitalized with pneumonia on April 1 and tested positive for COVID-19 later in the day.

According to the military, the doctor is receiving all necessary treatment and she is in satisfactory condition. Ten other military servicepersons who had contact with her were examined and ordered to self-isolate, while the sick doctor’s workplaces were disinfected. Additionally, 140 military service members are currently isolated, according to the military command, with 72 persons expected to finish their self-isolation period within 72 hours.

During his morning briefing, Lyashko also urged everyone, especially people with chronic diseases, diabetes and cancer, to self-isolate and take care of their health. 

“We have to be aware of the threat that has arisen over society globally,” Lyashko said. 

As of April 2, the largest number of coronavirus cases in Ukraine were registered in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast (224 cases) and in Chernivtsi Oblast (143 cases), Ternopil Oblast (106 cases) and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (74 cases).

Earlier on March 31, Lyashko reported that 240 Ukrainian hospitals are prepared to receive the first wave of patients, adding that these hospitals have 67,000 beds that can receive coronavirus patients, 11,000 of which are specifically designated for infectious disease patients.

Apart from that, there are 4,188 isolation rooms and 1,716 intensive care beds, according to Lyashko.

Globally, COVID-19 has killed at least 46,150 people as of late April 1, and infected 920,057 people; 193,350 patients have recovered. The United States, Italy, China and Spain are struggling the most to curb the spread of the disease.

On April 1, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine announced its plan to toughen the quarantine measures in Ukraine until April 24. The plan wasn’t yet adopted.

The new measures include a ban to be in public places without face masks and gather in groups of more than two people (exceptions are envisioned for the occasions when one’s work requires it, or for those who accompany children). All parks, recreation areas, forests, and coastal areas will be closed from visitors; individual visitors can be allowed in if they are walking a pet, alone. Also, children under 16 will not be allowed in public places without adults.

Some of these measures, however, have already been imposed by local authorities in cities.

If adopted, these will be added to the existing measures: a ban on public gatherings of over 10 people, ban on visiting playgrounds, shutdown of public transportation and non-essential shops.