Health Minister: Ukraine Close to Virus Catastrophe

FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a protective face mask amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crosses a street in central Kyiv, Ukraine August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a protective face mask amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crosses a street in central Kyiv, Ukraine August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
TT

Health Minister: Ukraine Close to Virus Catastrophe

FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a protective face mask amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crosses a street in central Kyiv, Ukraine August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a protective face mask amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crosses a street in central Kyiv, Ukraine August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

The situation with the coronavirus in Ukraine is close to catastrophic and the nation must prepare for the worst, health minister Maksym Stepanov said on Tuesday.

Ukraine registered a record 8,899 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the ministry said, up from the Oct. 30 high of 8,312. Total infections stood at 411,093 by Tuesday with 7,532 deaths.

"The situation quickly turns from difficult to catastrophic. We need to prepare for the inevitable - it is impossible to easily pass the second wave," Stepanov told the parliament.

"If Ukrainians continue to severely disregard safety rules, we will not avoid a catastrophe. The hardest is ahead," he added, Reuters reported.

The daily tally of coronavirus infections spiked in late September and remained consistently high throughout October, prompting the government to extend lockdown measures until the end of this year.

Ukraine imposed a strict lockdown in March but eased it in May. Stepanov said the government would consider how to preserve the economy and save people at the same time.

He said last month that Ukraine would introduce stricter lockdown restrictions if cases rise to 11,000-15,000 daily. He warned that the resources of the medical system would run out if the number of daily cases exceeds 20,000.



UN Names Former British Diplomat Tom Fletcher to Lead Aid Efforts

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
TT

UN Names Former British Diplomat Tom Fletcher to Lead Aid Efforts

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday appointed former British diplomat Tom Fletcher as the new aid chief for the world body amid worsening humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip, Sudan and elsewhere, largely driven by conflict.

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.

Fletcher - who is currently the principal of Hertford College, Oxford - was the British ambassador to Lebanon from 2011-2015 and served as the foreign and development policy adviser to three British prime ministers between 2007-2011, the UN said in a statement.

He "has strong experience of leading and transforming organizations and bringing an understanding of diplomacy at the highest levels," the UN said.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said he did not know when Fletcher would take up the role.

The announcement comes as UN efforts to tackle humanitarian needs around the world are significantly underfunded.

The UN has appealed for $49 billion in 2024 to help 187.6 million of the people in need across 73 countries. But the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which Fletcher will lead, said on Wednesday that so far it has only received $16.21 billion.