Kyiv Mayor’s Coronavirus Update – March 24, 2020
24.03.2020
The mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko held a briefing providing an update on the coronavirus situation in Ukraine’s capital and the measures the city is taking to respond.
Klitschko: Four more confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported in the past 24 hours. By Tuesday there are 28 laboratory confirmed cases in Ukraine’s capital. Overall 1297 Kyivans have been tested so far. And travel is still the main way people get infected.
The situation is increasingly threatening. Every day tens of thousands of Ukrainians arrive to Kyiv from abroad – both by air and rail. Decision by the Foreign Ministry to return the Ukrainian citizens home has led to a very disconcerting development which the city has to handle single-handedly.
My firm belief is, all corresponding Ukraine’s state institutions must become involved into infection prevention and control over post-arrival health of people. Long lines and crowds of passengers at the airports pose a threat! Those arriving must be informed about the need to stay home, self-isolating for 2 weeks. It is a mandatory requirement, violation of which entails a penalty. The import of the virus from abroad must stop!
Let me stress, we have to minimise social contact as much as possible! The police must intensify control over compliance with the lockdown of both residents and businesses.
The situation is still controllable today. If it worsens, we will have to enforce tougher measures to isolate the city, including a complete lockdown, the city entry-exit ban, ban on movement and other curbs. Further developments depend to a large extent on how Kyivans are ready to respect the already imposed restrictions.
Many countries have already imposed stay-at-home orders or announced national lockdown. Virus-hit Italy, France and Spain have admitted delays and their reluctancy to take crucial steps sooner. Now the army and police are patrolling streets there.
Once again I am urging you to stay home. Don’t endanger yourself and others around you!
The city government closed all public kindergartens, schools and universities on March 12. It is too soon to say when classes resume. To keep students learning we have introduced online education. Also the municipal TV channel Kyiv started broadcasting live lessons for schoolers.
We all are fully aware of the panic shop when people bulk-buy groceries and hоusеhоld іtеms amid the increasing anxiety. Unfortunately, some supermarkets took advantage and raised prices. As the city authority we cannot tаkе асtіоn to stор overpricing, so I am asking the Antimonopoly Committee to interfere. And I am warning sellers against price hikes. This is a pillage rather than business! We all have a hard time and there is no time to profit off.
All masks and medications, including paracetamol the city purchases, come to Pharmacia municipal pharmacies. It is true that due to the panic their shelves are often empty and pharmacies are struggling to restock face masks, sanitizers and other supplies.
Let me underline that in the first place, all facial masks and other protective gear as well as test systems go to the hospitals and paramedics that need them most.
I am often asked about municipal hospitals which have been set up as dedicated coronavirus treatment centres. There are seven of them: Oleksandrivska clinic, Kyiv Municipal Hospitals No. 4 and No. 9, Children’s Clinical Hospitals No. 1 and No. 2, the Kyiv Infectious Disease Children’s Hospital and the Clinic for Maternal and Reproductive Health.
Altogether there are 482 beds in 78 intensive care units. 237 of them are for adult patients, 200 – for kids and 45 for pregnant women. All beds are equipped with ventilators and other advanced life support machines. There is enough stockpiled medical equipment and medications in these hospitals.
If the situation worsens, more 7,000 critical care beds are ready to be deployed.
Newly launched is the Centre for Vulnerable Populations which will help and protect the most socially vulnerable people during the pandemic. It will also ensure that food and medications which have been donated by the socially responsible businesses reach the most vulnerable people in Kyiv.
I want to say a big thank you to all donor companies. Their support is much appreciated. They are:
Zhittelyub Charity Foundation which donated 2,000 food baskets;
Novus retailer which presented 10,000 boxes of essential supplies;
The Ukrainian Red Cross Society that provided 1,000 hot meals for homeless people, its regional Kyiv office donated 4,000 facial masks;
The Samaritan Union of Ukraine that contributed 3,000 food baskets and ₴50,000 for masks purchase.
My fellow Kyivans, please, do respect the rules and restrictions! Take care of yourself and stay healthy!