You're reading: Ukraine Digest – March 26: Sharp increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 

The confirmed number of sick Ukrainians has grown sharply in just 24 hours. On March 25, the number stood at 145, reaching 196 the next day. Five people in Ukraine have died from the novel coronavirus since March 3, when the first case was identified in the country. One patient has recovered.

The government on March 25 ordered the extension of quarantine measures in the entire country until April 24. The measures were originally supposed to last until April 3.

4 Ukrainian doctors infected with COVID-19 due to lack of safety equipment: All four doctors either live or work in the Monastyryskyi District of Ternopil Oblast.

UN may allocate $33 million of anti-coronavirus aid to Ukraine: The United Nations has started collecting $2 billion to fight COVID-19 in the world’s most vulnerable countries, including Ukraine, which may receive $33 million of humanitarian aid as a result.

Ukrainian banks receive needed cash dollar delivery: On March 25, the NBU exchanged $130 million of these dollars for non-cash dollar assets at 11 out of 14 banks that have systemically important status in the country.

Fashion designers team up to make protective gear for doctors: Designer Svitlana Bevza, who runs the Bevza brand, started the initiative on March 20. “We understand that Ukraine is not ready at all in terms of protection,” Bevza told the Kyiv Post.

Business News – 

PrivatBank has introduced loan repayment holidays for small and medium sized businesses until the end of May. The state-owned bank said it had introduced the repayment holiday for SMEs with both performing and overdue loans.

Ukrnafta has asked the government to introduce urgent tax breaks, and change pricing mechanisms because of its overstock and the sharp decline in global oil prices. The state-owned oil and gas giant says the measures are needed to prevent its financial collapse, which could be caused by lower retail fuel sales, a sharp drop in oil prices and its overstock of unsold raw material.

The Ukrainian and Swiss presidents have discussed an initiative to quickly ramp up production of lung ventilators in Ukraine.

Read the full Ukraine Business Update