COVID-19 in Ukraine: 261 dead, 10,406 cases, 540 new infections

The number of officially confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ukraine has reached 10,406 as of 9:00 a.m. on April 30, according to Ukraine’s health ministry. In total, 261 people have died from the disease in Ukraine and 1,238 patients have recovered.

In the past 24 hours, Ukraine has identified 540 new COVID-19 cases.

Among the confirmed cases, there are 717 children and 2,063 medical workers. The majority of COVID-19 patients, 7,192 people, are receiving outpatient treatment and 3,214 are in hospitals. In total, 138 patients have been placed on lung ventilators, including one child and 10 medical workers.

Currently, the death rate is higher among men. Of the 261 people who have died from COVID-19, 146 were men. 

As of April 30, the largest number of coronavirus cases in Ukraine has been registered in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast (2,065 cases), Chernivtsi Oblast (1,571 cases), Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (862 cases), Ternopil Oblast (779 cases), Rivne Oblast (637 cases), Lviv Oblast (430 cases), Zakarpattia Oblast (419 cases) and Vinnitsya Oblast (417 cases.)

In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian laboratories have administered a record number of 7,315 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

In total, 111,859 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in laboratories since the beginning of the outbreak. The actual number of people tested has not been disclosed.

Speaking at a briefing on April 30, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov announced that the government will raise salaries for virologists, laboratory technicians and other health professionals involved in efforts against COVID-19 who were not included in the initial list of doctors and nurses in hospitals and primary care eligible for a 200% pay raise. 

Stepanov also called for citizens to comply with the quarantine rules and stay home during the May holidays. He pointed out that, despite the ban, more people are spending time in parks and going to mass protests. 

The health minister’s remarks came a day after several hundred entrepreneurs rallied in front of the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv demanding the reopening of small businesses and equal working conditions with some large businesses that still operate. 

“I understand that it’s hard to be in lockdown for six weeks, but nobody would keep it in place or keep small businesses closed if there were no reasons for it,” he said. “When you violate the quarantine, think of your loved ones.” 

However, the minister didn’t give a direct answer to the question of why small businesses couldn’t reopen on the same sanitary and social distancing conditions as large store chains and food bazaars, which were allowed to operate. 

He only said that food bazaars are important for the economy and market prices since “70% of agricultural produce is sold there,” and some categories of small businesses will be allowed to reopen after May 11, according to the government’s multi-step plan.