The President of Ukraine proposed to the Cabinet of Ministers to present a program to support small and medium-sized businesses that comply with the sanitary and epidemiological norms introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular in the regions with a "red" level of epidemic danger. This was discussed at a conference call on countering the COVID-19 pandemic chaired by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The government should soon prepare initiatives to support small and medium-sized businesses during quarantine restrictions. In particular, these programs should provide benefits for renting, lending and payment of utilities. Among other things, these are small and medium-sized businesses that comply with all sanitary and epidemiological norms introduced by the government.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal informed that 23,393 people had fallen ill with COVID-19 in Ukraine over the past 24 hours. Last week, 26,870 new patients were diagnosed on a peak day.
In October, 251 health facilities were added to the list of those providing inpatient care. This made it possible to expand the bed quantity by almost 30,000. Currently, there are 51,577 beds for patients with COVID-19 occupied in Ukraine out of the allocated 74,162. At the same time, 70,228 beds are supplied with oxygen. There are currently almost 443 thousand active patients.
10 million 682 thousand people were vaccinated in the country, 7 million 597 thousand received two doses. A total of 18 million 279 thousand vaccinations were carried out. Last week, a record number of citizens were vaccinated - 1.7 million.
Denys Shmyhal noted that on November 2, the Verkhovna Rada passed in the first reading a government bill to increase the responsibility for forging documents on preventive vaccinations. According to the bill, a fine of UAH 17,000 to UAH 34,000 will be imposed for the use of knowingly forged documents, and a fine of UAH 85-170 thousand or imprisonment for up to three years will be imposed for the production of such COVID documents.
On behalf of the President, Minister of Health Viktor Lyashko holds daily briefings to inform about the situation with the pandemic in Ukraine. In addition, the heads of regional state administrations provide daily information to residents of the regions about the situation in hospitals, the availability of beds, oxygen supply and more.
The Head of State noted that the Minister of Health should focus the attention of the media and society on the situation with beds and the use of oxygen in medical facilities, the payment of allowances to doctors in the amount of 300%.