Kyiv Mayor’s Coronavirus Update – March 24, 2021
24.03.2021
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: I am keeping you updated on the coronavirus situation which remains very tense in Kyiv. New cases are rapidly rising.
There are 1,300 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. With this, their total number rose to 155,336.
The latest cases are 731 women (18-92 years old), 482 men (aged 18-99) and 87 children. 32 medical professionals are also confirmed positive overnight.
49 virus-related fatalities in the past 24 hours reached a new high mark in Kyiv. The death toll in Kyiv has risen to 3,163.
New 333 recoveries bring their total number to 103,122.
137 coronavirus-positive patients and 384 with the suspected diagnosis are admitted to hospitals overnight.
The highest number of new infections, 232 was reported in Darnytsa.
As we see, the number of new hospitalisations is growing, reaching 4,065 today. 39 of them are children. Hospitals in Kyiv see steadily climbing rates of in-patients, in particular those requiring supplemental oxygen. Now 2,703 patients are very ill, 3,206 are under oxygen therapy and 49 are put on a ventilator. The current bed occupancy rate exceeds 74 per cent.
Today we must do everything possible to avoid the collapse of public healthcare. This is why we are scaling up the beds for COVID-19 patients. With 844 beds deployed last week, the coronavirus hospitals can admit at least 6,000 patients.
Also, the municipality has set aside over ₴23,5 million to purchase and retrofit hospitals with 330 oxygen concentrators, 5 patient monitors and 12 ICU ventilators to be able to add more oxygen-supported beds and beds with ventilator in intensive therapy units.
Our main task today is to break the chain of infection and contain the virus. Hospitals are approaching full capacity with COVID-19 patients. Moreover, they continue to treat patients for other diseases and urgent conditions.
With this in mind, we had to escalate our response and impose severe quarantine restrictions in Kyiv starting from March 20. On March 23 the national government classified Kyiv as a red zone, introducing all red zone restrictions. Still, we ‘defended’ the operation of public transport. It operates in Kyiv with limited seating capacity and according to the public health recommendations. Please, remember to travel responsibly and avoid using public transport unless you have a really good reason. During the quarantine non-essential travel is limited to using by only essential services employees. Odd enough, but there are still many Kyivans who keep ignoring the rules. The public transport packed with passengers reflects their irresponsible attitude. Let me remind, that though the public transport still ran in Milan or New York during the hardest first pandemic wave, most people there were staying off it, except for those who really had to.
We all are living with the pandemic for over a year now and cannot afford the carelessness now. Let us stay responsible and stop behaving as if the virus poses no threat. Otherwise, both the local and the central governments would close down the public transport network. A year ago this decision has angered plenty of people.
Also, let me remind you that according to the red zone restrictions, non-essential businesses are required to work from home.
Students of middle and high school will be back to remote learning starting March 25. Elementary school students will return to their classrooms next Monday. A full list of guidelines, tutorials and curricula for school staff and parents is available on the site of the municipal Education Department. Also, parents can ask their questions by calling an online chat helpline.