COVID-19 new infections set latest daily record

New infections of the COVID-19 disease caused by the
coronavirus set a new daily record of 4,027 on Sept. 29, the Health Ministry
reported this morning. That’s compared to 3,627 on Sept. 28 and 2,671 on Sept.
27. An estimated 64 people died from the disease on Sept. 29, compared to 69
deaths on Sept. 28 and 37 deaths on Sept. 27. Cases in the Kharkiv region set a
new infections record of 549, also a daily record for any region in Ukraine. On
addition, the hospital occupancy rate reached 50.8%, or 15,000 out of 29,666
available beds. Another record set was 2,110 single-day recoveries. As of Sept.
29, an estimated 112,470 Ukrainians are infected with the COVID-19 disease.

A one-month ban on foreigners traveling to Ukraine,
which expired on Sept. 28, is not planned to be renewed, Foreign Minister
Dmytro Kuleba told an online press briefing on Sept. 30. Requirements for
visitors owning medical insurance from a Ukraine-based firm, or imposing self-quarantine,
were being considered by the cabinet but have yet to be imposed, according to
news reports.

Zenon Zawada: The new
daily record for COVID-19 cases is a disturbing trend that poses the risk of
renewed travel restrictions, regardless of official assurances. We expect some
kind of insurance and quarantine requirements for travelers to emerge from
today’s weekly cabinet meeting. But that will do little to renew foreign
interest in Ukraine (aside from Hasidic pilgrims), whose economic activity has
been disrupted not only by the disease, but also the war in Donbas.