The number of officially confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ukraine has reached 44,334 as of 9 a.m. on June 30.
In the past 24 hours, health authorities confirmed 706 new cases of COVID-19, including 63 among children and 56 among medical workers.
During the previous week, Ukraine regularly recorded around 1,000 new cases a day. The lower number on June 30 may be the result of fewer COVID-19 tests conducted because of the three-day weekend for Constitution Day. Typically, fewer people seek medical attention on the weekend.
Only 6,962 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were administered across the country during the past 24 hours, roughly two times lower than during much of the past week. In addition, Ukrainian laboratories carried out 4,030 antibody tests (ELISA).
During the past 24 hours, 192 people were hospitalized. Twelve people died, bringing the total death toll in the country to 1,159 since the beginning of the outbreak.
Eighty-eight patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 19,115. This is the lowest daily number of recoveries since May 13.
The regions with the highest numbers of newly registered cases are Lviv Oblast (143), Zakarpattya Oblast (97), Rivne Oblast (74) and Odesa Oblast (66).
Ukraine’s daily COVID-19 cases, deaths and recoveries from May 1 to June 29, 2020. All data were released by the Ministry of Health. (Bermet Talant)
During his June 30 morning briefing, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said that the number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 had significantly increased in Ukraine since May.
The country is also seeing an increase in pneumonia cases. If on May 18-24, there were 2,572 cases, while there were 4,705 cases during the most recent week, Stepanov said on June 30.
“This is further confirmation of the fact that COVID-19 is spreading rather rapidly here,” he added.
Ukraine’s daily COVID-19 cases, deaths and recoveries from May 1 to June 29, 2020. All data were released by the Ministry of Health. (Bermet Talant)
Stepanov also commented on photographs of long lines of cars attempting to enter the Black Sea port city of Odesa that appeared at the end of the previous week, as people from other regions attempted to visit the seaside during the long weekend.
While this is good for domestic tourism, he said, people are not following the Health Ministry’s recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19: masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing.
“All of this leads to an increase in COVID-19,” Stepanov added.
Stepanov said that he recognizes that imposing additional quarantine measures and enforcing the recommendations already established by the state is not popular as Ukraine prepares for local elections.
He called on the local authorities to “consider the health of your voters, who will go to vote for you in October.”
