Kyiv Mayor’s Coronavirus Update – November 2, 2020
02.11.2020
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.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko is still recovering from the coronavirus disease. He is working remotely, this is why he goes live again today from his home. Lesia Petrivska, our sign-language interpreter is also self-isolating and working from home.
Here is an update on the COVID-19 situation in Kyiv. The wave of infection is steadily rising both in Kyiv and in Ukraine.
New 507 coronavirus cases are reported in Kyiv in the past 24 hours, which is a very disconcerting number since there is always some decline in testing during weekends. With this, their total number reached 38,745.
Nine more people died to bring the death toll to 787.
12,924 patients recovered so far, 12 overnight.
New cases are 267 women (18-83 years old), 188 men (19-90 years old) and 52 children. Also, there are 16 healthcare workers among new infections. Hospitalised are 38 patients.
Solomiansky district leads with 89 new cases, followed by Holossivsky district with 84 new virus transmissions.
Hospitalisations are also high and steady. Currently, a total of 1,990 patients including 39 children are taken to hospitals with confirmed coronavirus diagnosis. 504 patients are very ill, 784 are under oxygen therapy and 22 put on invasive ventilators. 401 people are hospitalised with suspected COVID-19 diagnosis.
The municipal coronavirus hospitals can hold up to 3,100 infected people altogether and they are already 73% full.
The active coronavirus cases are 559 school students and 567 teachers. Eight schools remain quarantined. Students of 449 classes in 133 schools study remotely.
103 kindergartens groups are temporarily closed and nine more entire kindergartens are quarantined. The current kindergarten attendance is 52%.
Now Vitali Klitschko will comment on the much-talked about issue whether the municipal authority plans to impose a full lockdown due to rising coronavirus cases.
Vitali Klitschko: Hello, everyone. The situation is difficult. More and more people get infected and require hospitalisation. Many other countries in Europe face the same pandemic trend. Poland, France, Germany have already entered the second national lockdown. Britain is on the verge of tougher measures. Some regions in Spain are also placed under new restrictions.
We in Kyiv are doing our best to have the situation under control in order to delay the tougher restrictions. But depending on the transmission dynamics Ukraine’s government may tough up the restrictions and the municipal government will have to act accordingly.
Let me emphasize that we consider a full lockdown a last resort measure. We do everything possible to protect Kyivans from the virus and its есоnоmіс іmрlісаtіоns. We have to save Kyiv’s economy from greater damage. The municipal economic experts anticipate a ₴5 billion revenue loss by the year-end. The significant part of tax revenue, about ₴3 billion is generated by local entrepreneurs. We cannot afford another full lockdown, this is why I am calling on everyone to stay careful!
Also, I urge employers to let their employees work remotely. I ask Kyivans to travel responsibly and avoid taking public transport unless you have a really good reason. Please, avoid mass gatherings and keep a distance. We all have to stay responsible, otherwise, we are going to face a critical shortage of coronavirus beds.
Thank you, Mayor, for information. And thank you, Lesia, for your help. Get well soon and return to work!