Ukraine marks record deaths as COVID surge rises

Ukraine’s Health Ministry recorded 538 COVID-related
deaths on Oct. 18, the ministry announced on its website. This breaks the
previous record of 481 deaths recorded on April 6. The ministry also counted 15,579
new cases of COVID-19 on Oct. 18.

Also on Oct. 18, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
Health Committee Mykhailo Radutsky told reporters that Kyiv’s municipal
hospitals are at 70% occupancy for COVID-related cases, which formally puts the
city at the Red quarantine level. However, it is up to the municipality itself
to declare the quarantine level.

James Hydzik: All indications are that the record, sad as it is, will not hold for
long as the current wave is expected to peak at the end of November. Kyiv’s
decision to not begin the autumn school break this week was controversial,
though perhaps welcome to parents who had plans based on the break starting on
Oct. 25. The education and health ministries are publicly raising questions
regarding the date of the return to in-school classes, though, and parental
childcare-juggling disruptions are likely through the next month.