Health minister predicts surge in COVID-19 cases within next two weeks

Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov predicts a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations within the next two weeks.

"The situation remains quite tense. We predict a surge in the number of patients and, as a result, the number of hospitalizations within at least the next week or two," he said at a government meeting on Wednesday, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

Stepanov reiterated 11 regions were included in the red quarantine zone, of which three (Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia and Chernivtsi regions) were seeing stabilization.

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• Ukraine said 11,226 new active COVID-19 cases were confirmed across the country in the past 24 hours as of March 31, 2021.
• The total number of confirmed cases grew to 1,674,168. As many as 1,313,481 patients have recovered. The death toll has hit 32,825.