Ukraine has registered 6,451 new COVID-19 cases as of 9 a.m. on Dec. 14, bringing the total number of cases in the country since the start of the pandemic to 900,666.
Currently, there are 378,701 active cases in the country.
In the past 24 hours, 1,895 people were hospitalized. Currently, 27,393 people are receiving treatment in hospitals.
In the past 24 hours, 93 people have died of COVID-19, bringing the total death toll to 15,247. 5,154 people have recovered. A total of 506,718 patients have recovered since the beginning of the pandemic.
Ukrainian laboratories administered 20,493 PCR tests.
The largest numbers of new cases in the past 24 hours have been recorded in the city of Kyiv (605), Odesa Oblast (584), Kyiv Oblast (521), Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (461), and Zaporizhia Oblast (440).
Ukraine’s daily COVID-19 cases, deaths and recoveries from Nov. 1 to Dec. 13, 2020. All data were released by the Ministry of Health. (Bermet Talant)
The Ukrainian health authorities report that the epidemiological situation, which just a few weeks ago seemed to be spinning out of control, is stabilizing as evidenced by the declining numbers of daily cases.
In the past 7 days, 78,719 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the country, compared to 89,322 cases in the preceding week.
However, the number of administered PCR tests has dropped, too: from 279,189 tests in the first week of December to 244,391 tests in the past 7 days.
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. 13, 2020.
To dispel any speculations, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov claimed that fewer tests are carried out by labs because fewer people with symptoms seek testing.
Currently, getting a free PCR test requires a referral from a physician and showing certain symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing, signs of pneumonia and other acute respiratory diseases.
People with mild symptoms or those who came into contact with a COVID-19 patient but have not developed any symptoms are recommended to self-isolate or can get a PCR test at their own expense at a private lab.
The ministry decided to change the testing algorithm to expand the category of people who can get a free PCR test. This will include a wider list of symptoms as well as people who came into contact with a COVID-19 patient.
“We have boosted the capacities of our labs, now we have to increase the number of citizens who can access free testing,” Stepanov said on Dec. 14.
On Dec.11, the global coronavirus vaccine alliance, COVAX, has officially approved Ukraine’s request for COVID-19 vaccine. Ukraine will receive 8 million doses for free, enough for 4 million people, to fight the coronavirus.
Read more: COVAX to give Ukraine 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for free
The Ukrainian government announced on Dec. 9 its decision to impose a 16-day nationwide lockdown starting Jan. 8, after the New Year and Christmas holidays.
Read more: Ukraine to impose new lockdown on Jan. 8, after holidays
