Ukraine has registered 11,742 new cases of COVID-19 as of 9 a.m. on Dec. 19, bringing the total number of cases in the country since the start of the pandemic to 956,123.
Currently, there are 365,118 active cases across the country. In the past 24 hours, 2,865 people were hospitalized, while 13,314 have recovered. Ukraine has registered 213 deaths in the past 24 hours. A total of 574,536 patients have recovered and 16,469 have died in Ukraine since the beginning of the pandemic.
There are 63,680 beds for COVID-19 patients in Ukrainian hospitals and nearly 42% of them are currently occupied, said Health Minister Maksym Stepanov during his briefing on Dec. 18.
The largest numbers of new cases have been recorded in the city of Kyiv (1,364), Odesa Oblast (1,161), Zaporizhia Oblast (829), Kyiv Oblast (827), and Dnipro Oblast (667).
Ukraine’s daily COVID-19 cases, deaths, and recoveries from Nov. 1 to Dec. 18, 2020. All data were released by the Ministry of Health.
In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian laboratories have carried out 39,258 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and 20,831 antibody tests. Over 5.2 million PCR tests have been conducted since the start of the pandemic.
Ukraine’s daily new COVID-19 cases and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the most accurate way of diagnosing the novel coronavirus, between Nov. 1 and Dec. 18, 2020.
On Dec. 14, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers approved new pandemic restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Starting on Dec. 19, Ukraine will forbid holding mass events in educational institutions that involve more than one group or class, as well as holding celebrations, banquets, master classes, and public events in entertainment venues and restaurants.
Payment transactions in restaurants will only be allowed until 10 p.m.
The government will also ban having more than one person per 10 square meters in museums, exhibitions, and galleries. Holding religious events indoors with more than one person per 5 square meters or outdoors if there is not 1.5 meter in between participants also won’t be allowed.
Previous restrictions will also remain in force. In particular, Ukrainians must wear masks in public transport and public spaces and carry identification when outside their homes. The number of passengers in all public transport besides the metro must be limited to the number of available seats. Cinemas and other cultural venues can only be filled to half-capacity, while gyms and fitness centers can operate if they have less than one person per 20 square meters.
On Dec. 17, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law to fine business owners if their employees or customers don’t wear face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
According to the law initiated by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, when employees notice a customer isn’t wearing a mask, they have to stop servicing them and call the police if the person refuses to put on their mask.
A mask has to cover both the nose and mouth.
If employees of a restaurant or a museum, for example, don’t follow this protocol, sanitary-epidemiological service workers can fine these businesses $122–$183.
