COVID-19 cases cool off after all-time high on Sept. 10

Cases of the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus
cooled off on Sept. 13 after setting a record three days earlier, according to
the latest data published by the National Security and Defense Council this
morning. Cases reached 2,462 on Sept. 13, compared to 2,476 on Sept. 12, 3,103
on Sept. 11, and 3,144 on Sept. 10. Casualties reached 33 on Sept. 13, compared
to 30 on Sept. 12, 72 on Sept. 11 and 53 on Sept. 10. The most cases on Sept.
13 were reported in the regions of Ternopil (352), Kharkiv (269) and Odesa
(205).

Health Minister Maksym Stepanov, during a Sept. 11
television talk show, attributed the latest record-high to the public’s failure
to uphold sanitary requirements. Ukraine ranks seventh-worst among European
nations for COVID-19 cases, and 24th-worst in the world, he said.

Zenon Zawada: Among the biggest consequences of the latest record high is that the
city of Kyiv was prompted to intensify quarantine restrictions on Sept. 11, the
same day it set a new record of 428 COVID-19 cases. Among the harshest measures
was restricting occupancy on intercity public transport to 50%, and
restrictions on hospitalizations of a non-emergency nature. These measures
don’t help economic activity nor public confidence. When considering numerous
other regions are also imposing such restrictions, it can be safely said that
this latest COVID wave will serve as a drag on the economy that will be
reflected in the statistics to some extent.