KYIV (UKRAINE) – Ukraine is opening more of its hospitals to accommodate coronavirus cases as the institutions initially chosen to accept patients no longer have enough beds to cope with a surge in infections, the health minister said on Wednesday.
Coronavirus cases hit a new high of 940 on Wednesday, bringing the tally to 39,014, with 1,051 deaths. Most new cases were registered in west Ukraine and Kyiv.
At the onset of the epidemic, Ukraine divided hospitals into categories, with the best prepared institutions taking patients in the first wave. Second-line hospitals would accept cases once the other institutions had no more places.
Officials say some citizens have not stuck closely enough to guidance on social distancing and other precautions to prevent the virus spreading, leading to a surge in cases.
“With this attitude of citizens, in some regions there is a sharp increase in the number of people who are hospitalised. In this regard, we need to open the second-line,” Health Minister Maksym Stepanov told a televised briefing.
Ukraine, which introduced a lockdown in March, began easing restrictions in May to help the economy.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field