Fri 12 June 2020:
Olena, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said on Friday she had tested positive for coronavirus, but her husband and their two children had tested negative.
“Today I received a positive test for coronavirus. Unexpected news. Especially considering that I and my family continue to follow all the rules – masks, gloves, a minimum of contacts,” first lady Olena Zelenska wrote on Facebook.
She said she felt well, was not hospitalized, but was isolating from her husband and children. Ukrainian officials said it is unknown where and how the first lady contracted the virus.
Ukraine has reported 29,753 coronavirus cases, including 870 deaths.
The country’s officials said on Thursday there had been an “alarming” rise in coronavirus cases after a daily record of 689 new infections were reported as the country eases lockdown measures.
Some experts said the uptick was due to an increase in testing rather than a second wave of the disease.
Health Minister Maksym Stepanov berated Ukrainians for failing to stick to safety rules after lockdown restrictions were eased last month with the reopening of outdoor cafes, beauty salons, dental clinics and parks.
He promised to come up with “urgent” steps to slow down the spread of the virus.
“The threat is still here, but take a look at the streets, take a look at what is happening around you,” he said.
“We all came out of isolation, we all decided that (the virus) no longer exists,” he added.
Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told a press conference Thursday that officials could reimpose restrictions if there is a “critical growth” in cases nationwide.
Lockdown measures eased further in late May and early June with a resumption of public transport, including metro systems and long-distance and local train services.
Ukraine launched domestic flights on June 5 and will restart international flights on Monday.
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