Kyiv Mayor’s Coronavirus Update – October 9, 2020
09.10.2020
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: The coronavirus situation is very worrying. The record of single-day new cases has been broken in Kyiv, with 567 new infections in the past 24 hours taking the positive cases to 26,463. New cases include 330 women (18-95 years old), 202 men (19-83 years old) and 35 children. 29 medical professionals are among newly infected.
There are new ten fatalities, raising the death toll to 463. 295 people recovered overnight to bring the total number of recoveries to 9,411.
Desniansky district has the highest number of new cases, 115.
The number of new hospital admissions is also correspondingly growing. 78 new patients are hospitalised tаkіng іt uр tо а tоtаl оf 1,675 (36 children included). 338 patients are currently in the ICUs and 46 are put on an invasive ventilator, more 527 need oxygen support. 140 Kyivans are admitted to hospitals with suspected coronavirus diagnosis.
In total, 574 patients have been hospitalised with pneumonia.
I want to emphasize that the municipality has done everything possible to make the medical service available for all coronavirus patients. We have been ahead of the curve, expanding the bed capacity of the dedicated coronavirus health facilities. Over 2,500 beds in 18 municipal hospitals have been deployed so far. The current bed occupancy rate stands at over 70%. As you see, the virus prevalence is very high and may lead to a shortage of beds. This is why I have asked the Prime Minister and the Healthcare Minister to provide additional beds in the national hospitals located in Kyiv, something they have promised to do. Those facilities cannot stand on the sidelines of the coronavirus pandemic. We all have to fight the virus and the government at all levels has to protect the health of people rather than shift its responsibility. There is no such thing as our hospitals and somebody else’s hospitals. They all must admit and treat the coronavirus patients and people with other diseases.
Now a few words about schools. 454 school students and 349 teachers are active coronavirus cases in Kyiv so far. Five schools have closed due to infections among teachers. Also, more students are back to remote learning. A total of 501 classes in 173 schools are under quarantine. Also, quarantined are 62 kindergarten classes in 53 preschools and two nursery schools. The current kindergarten attendance rate is 57%.
The whole Taras Shevchenko National University has closed and put under quarantine as a coronavirus hotspot until October 23.
Answering the questions about the upcoming flu season, I want to stress that we are working to prepare the flu vaccination sites. It is time to get vaccinated because just imagine how dangerous the combination of COVID-19 and flu viruses would be. Kyivans can get the shot at hospitals after the doctor’s consultation, paying just for the vaccine.
The municipal hospitals’ CEOs are responsible for the supply of personal protective equipment, antiviral and other drugs as well as disinfection solutions for the hospital staff. Facial masks and flu medications will be provided by the Pharmacia municipal company. The front line medics, primary care physicians and paramedics will be first to receive a flu vaccine at no cost.
I am urging everyone to get a flu shot! Last year we had 71 influenza-associated deaths in unvaccinated patients.
Please, remember that the virus is absolutely real and it spreads really fast. Please, do not behave as if the virus poses no threat because carelessness may cost you health.
The municipal government does everything to protect the health and life of Kyivans. Please, help us and follow the recommendations!