For the third week in a row, the number of new COVID-19 cases is growing in Ukraine, but thanks to vaccination the course of the disease is easier, and now almost half as many people are hospitalized compared to the peak incidence in autumn 2021. This was discussed at a conference call on countering the spread of COVID-19.
According to the Ministry of Health, 110,000 new COVID-19 patients were registered in the country last week.
The Omicron strain has already been identified in 17 regions, but it is not yet dominant in Ukraine. Over the past week, more than 15,000 people were hospitalized, which is almost 50% less than with the same number of new cases of the Delta strain last fall. At present, 28% of beds allocated for patients with COVID-19 are occupied in the medical institutions.
Health Minister Viktor Lyashko explained that the hospitalization rate was almost halved, due to an increase in the number of vaccinated people. According to him, mobile teams have resumed work in those territorial communities where less than 25% of residents have been vaccinated.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that from today, people over the age of 60 will be able to use UAH 1,000 provided by the state under the eSupport program to buy medicines.
In addition, according to him, the Ministry of Social Policy together with the Ministry of Finance are working on the possibility of extending the "eSupport" initiative of the President to other groups. Thus, the possibility of allowing the use of these funds for medicines for people with disabilities of the first group, regardless of age, is being considered.
To date, more than 7.5 million citizens have received payments under this program.