The first two cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been confirmed in Kyiv, bringing the total number of cases in Ukraine to seven. Ukraine saw one death from the novel coronavirus on March 13.
The health ministry reported that one of the two new patients recently returned from France, which has 5,380 confirmed cases and 127 deaths from the virus.
Ukraine remains among the countries in Europe with the smallest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, which has infected at least 164,837 and killed 6,470 people globally.
While only seven cases have been confirmed in Ukraine, one of them fatal, the country has not tested many people. The number of individuals tested varies in different government reports, ranging from 76 to 500 people, which is still very low compared to most European countries.
The government has been taking preventative measures against the virus, shutting down schools and universities. Several big cities, including Kyiv, shut down cafes, restaurants, gyms and other spaces starting March 17, while President Volodymyr Zelensky said the government will order similar measures for cities and towns across Ukraine.
CORONAVIRUS IN UKRAINE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Kyiv intensifies quarantine, shutting down everything by supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, gas stations.
- Zelensky urged the government to shut down public transport.
- There have been seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine. The first case was identified in Ukraine on March 3.
- One person died from the COVID-19 in Ukraine.
- Ukraine shut schools and canceled mass events starting March 12 to prevent the disease’s spread. Some schools resisted.
- Here’s how Kyiv is affected.
- Why the Kyiv Post isn’t making its coverage free in the times of COVID-19.
- Doctor’s advice: How to stay safe.
- Ukrainians evacuated from the disease’s epicenter in Wuhan, China spent two weeks in quarantine in a sanatorium in Poltava Oblast and were released on March 5. Their arrival in Ukraine caused unrest.
Effects on economy:
- Here’s what the virus is doing to Ukraine’s economy.
- Ukrainian businesses respond to the crisis.
- The virus disrupts the transport sector. Ukrainian airlines canceled some flights to 16 countries due to the novel coronavirus.
- The National Bank of Ukraine continued to cut the policy rate while trying to buffer the hryvnia from coronavirus panic.
