Ukraine COVID-19 pandemic approaching catastrophe, health minister says

Ukraine’s situation with the COVID-19 pandemic is approaching
a catastrophe, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov told parliament on Nov. 3. “We
have arrived at the point of no return and are close to catastrophe. The
situation is critical not only in Ukraine, but in the whole world. England,
France, Austria, Germany, Spain are returning severe quarantine restrictions
again not for no reason,” he said. Stepanov added, “We need to prepare for the
inevitable. It will be impossible to easily pass through the second wave.”
Although the health ministry is preparing tens of thousands of more hospital
beds, “no matter what amount of beds we add, the coronavirus is spreading much
quicker,” he said.

New infections of the COVID-19 disease caused by the
coronavirus set the latest daily record of 9,524 on Nov. 3, the Health Ministry
reported. That’s compared to 8,899 on Nov. 2 and 6,754 on Nov. 1. An estimated
199 people died from the disease on Nov. 3, compared to 157 deaths on Nov. 2
and 69 deaths on Nov. 1. Regionally, infection records were set in the
Chernivtsi region (418 on Nov. 1). The most number of cases on Nov. 3 were
reported in the most densely populated regions of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa.

Zenon Zawada: The
predictions of health authorities have come true, unfortunately. The big
questions are whether a severe national quarantine and lockdown will be imposed
(we don’t expect it), and whether Ukraine’s medical system will be able to
handle the volume of ill patients. So far, it is barely coping. So it’s a very
negative factor for Ukraine’s investment and economic case, postponing any
economic recovery into the first quarter, at the very earliest, but more likely
the second quarter.