COVID-19 in Ukraine: 2,671 new cases, 37 dead, 108,856 active cases

Ukraine has registered 2,671 new COVID-19 cases as of 9 a.m. on Sept. 28. In the past 24 hours, 37 people have died, 472 were hospitalized and 571 patients have recovered.

There are currently 108,856 active cases across the country.

The largest numbers of new cases were recorded in Kharkiv Oblast (339), the city of Kyiv (328), Odesa Oblast (203), Ternopil Oblast (153), and Volyn Oblast (143).

In the past 24 hours, laboratories carried out 16,533 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and 3,779 antibody tests.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Ukraine since the start of the pandemic stands at 201,305. A total of 88,453 patients have recovered and 3,996 have died.

Ukraine’s daily COVID-19 cases, deaths and recoveries from Aug. 23 to Sept. 27, 2020. All data were released by the Ministry of Health. (Kyiv Post)

Ukraine’s daily new COVID-19 cases and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the most accurate way of diagnosing the novel coronavirus, between Aug. 25 and Sept. 27, 2020. (Kyiv Post)

Starting on Sept. 28, Ukraine will be divided into new threat levels that depend on the number of cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 people and bed occupancy in hospitals with COVID-19 patients, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said during the briefing on Sept. 28.According to Stepanov, only the city of Ternopil and Berezhany in Ternopil Oblasts are currently in the red zone, meaning that the threat of COVID-19 in the region is the most serious.

Based on the epidemic criteria, Kyiv gets a yellow level of threat, so all basic anti-epidemic measures in the capital remain in force. This includes mandatory mask-wearing in public transport and inside public establishments and no more than one person per 5 square meters during mass events. Cinemas must work at half-capacity. In addition, it is banned to visit care facilities for the elderly.

The Ministry of Health has introduced changes to COVID-19 testing rules. From now on, there’s no need to do another PCR test for patients recovering from COVID-19 at home after 14 days of self-isolation if all symptoms of the disease are gone, Stepanov said during the briefing on Sept. 19.

On Sept. 16, the Health Ministry said that a red level of epidemiological risk will be introduced in regions if the number of COVID-19 patients is more than five times higher than the nationwide average or if at least 75% of hospital beds are occupied for five days in a row.

From now on, decisions on introducing the red level will be made jointly by national and regional commissions for technological and environmental safety and emergencies. Previously, such decisions were made only by the national authorities.

Read more: Government introduces new rules for implementing ‘red’ quarantine zones