The number of officially confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ukraine has reached 8,125 as of 9 a.m. on April 25, according to Ukraine’s health ministry. In total, 201 people have died from the disease in Ukraine and 782 have recovered.
In the past 24 hours, Ukraine has identified 478 new COVID-19 cases.
Out of all COVID-19 patients in Ukraine, 545 are children and 1,574 are medical workers; 104 patients currently connected to the lung ventilators in hospitals, including one child. In the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s health ministry has carried out 5,825 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the most accurate way of diagnosing COVID-19, for an overall total of 83,577 tests.
According to the available data as of April 25, the largest number of coronavirus cases in Ukraine has been registered in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast (1,678 cases), Chernivtsi Oblast (1,308 cases), Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (700 cases), Ternopil Oblast (565 cases) and Rivne Oblast (483 cases).
According to the Center for Public Health, 93% of people with COVID-19 became infected inside the country. The other 7% were infected abroad.
On April 24, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a decree on rules and conditions under which medical workers involved in the fight against COVID-19 will receive increased salaries, up to 300%.
During a briefing on the morning of April 25, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said that in the past 24 hours 138 people were hospitalised and 8 people have died. For the same period, a record number of 181 patients recovered from COVID-19.
Ukrainians abroad
As of late April 23, there are 161 Ukrainians receiving treatment for COVID-19 in 15 countries worldwide; while 56 patients have recovered; 7 people have died.
Massive COVID-19 antibody testing
Ukraine’s chief sanitary doctor, Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said on April 24 that Ukraine could become the fifth country with a mass COVID-19 antibody testing program. Such tests estimate whether a person has had the virus and developed immunity to it.
Quarantine extensions
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Denys Shmygal announced on April 22 that it would extend quarantine measures until May 11.
The measures will include a ban on public gatherings of over two people, restrictions on public transportation and a requirement to wear face masks in public at all times.
On April 24, Shmygal disclosed five stages of country’s quarantine exit plan after May 11. As a first stage of lifting quarantine restrictions, the government will allow people to visit parks and public gardens, as well as operating of wholesale and retail non-food stores.
COVID-19 cases are expected to grow
According to data from the National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine is expected to experience a peak of infections between May 3 and May 8, Shmygal said on April 22.
No easing of restrictions is possible at this time, he added.
According to Lyashko, Ukraine is currently following the “optimistic scenario” for its battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. That scenario foresees no more than 2% of the population becoming infected with the coronavirus during the outbreak.
Meanwhile, Kyiv Oleksandrivska Hospital — the main center for Covid-19 patients — is running out of places, Ukraine’s chief doctor of the hospital Lyudmyla Antonenko reported on April 22. Antonenko noted that they are preparing extra reserve beds.
Global virus outbreak
Globally, COVID-19 has infected over 2.8 million people. In total, 197,356 people have died as the morning of April 25; 791,678 patients have recovered.
The largest numbers of COVID-19 cases have been identified in the U.S., Spain, Italy, and France as of April 25.
