The number of officially confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ukraine has reached 23,672 as of 9 a.m. on May 31, according to Ukraine’s health ministry. In total, 708 people have died from the disease in Ukraine and 9,538 patients have recovered.
In the past 24 hours, Ukraine has identified 468 new COVID-19 cases, 12 people have died, 227 have recovered, and 93 people were hospitalized.
Among all confirmed cases, 1,712 are children and 4,542 are medical workers.
Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said during his morning briefing on May 31 that Ukraine has carried out 8,351 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in the past 24 hours. In total, Ukraine has conducted 356,565 tests to date, according to the Center for Public Health.
In addition, laboratories across the country carried out 1,180 antibody tests (IFA) for COVID-19.
The government signed a decree to launch mass antibody testing for COVID-19 on May 19, free for people with COVID-19 symptoms, those who came into contact with infected patients and people who are in risk groups, such as medical workers and the police. Unlike the diagnostic PCR test, the antibody test shows whether a person had the coronavirus in the past and developed some immunity against it.
Chernivtsi Oblast in western Ukraine remains the worst-hit region in Ukraine, with 3,349 confirmed cases. 928 of them have reportedly recovered.
It is followed by the city of Kyiv with 2,985 cases, Rivne Oblast with 1,713 cases, and Kyiv Oblast with 1,573 cases. These numbers indicate the total cases confirmed since the beginning of the pandemic, not just active ones.
On June 1, Ukraine will enter the third stage of easing COVID-19 restrictions under the “adaptive quarantine” plan. According to this plan, the government eases restrictions every 10 days for oblasts that meet certain criteria up until June 22, the expiration date for the quarantine. Those criteria include the steady decline in new confirmed coronavirus cases, a growing number of recovered patients, and bed occupancy rate in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.
At this stage, Ukrainian oblasts that meet those requirements set by the Ministry of Health will be allowed to open gyms and swimming pools, resume passenger railway and bus travel between oblasts and relaunch certain educational classes — like driving lessons — in groups of no more than 10 people.
Ukraine’s daily COVID-19 cases, deaths and recoveries from May 1 to May 30, 2020. All data were released by the Ministry of Health.
Ukraine’s daily new COVID-19 cases and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the most accurate way of diagnosing the novel coronavirus, between May 1 and May 30, 2020. All data were published by the Ministry of Health.
