Stepanov admitted the number of beds could be increased by another 15,000 units.
Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov says no new total lockdown is expected in the country because of the spread of the coronavirus at the moment.
"So far we are acting under conditions of adaptive quarantine. Moreover, we can now see that the cities and districts where we introduced the [COVID-19] 'red' threat level and where they adhered to the relevant rules saw a decrease in the incidence within 14 days. We can immediately see it by figures," he told Ukraine 24 TV channel, commenting on the return of some countries to the strict regulations.
According to Stepanov, today there are five times more COVID-19 patients or suspected cases in Ukraine than in July.
"In mid-July, the number of patients being treated in hospitals simultaneously was a little more than 3,500 people diagnosed with the coronavirus. As of today, we have over 16,000 [coronavirus] patients or suspected cases; this is almost five times more. And they are on the rise every day. There is a limit [to the number of patients the healthcare system can handle]," he said.
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"If we are talking about beds, today we have 36,000 beds allocated for COVID-19 patients. [If there are more patients], there will be nowhere to admit them to. Relatively speaking, we cannot stop admitting [other] patients, providing care for those with a stroke, etc. And of course, this is our main concern. That is, we re-equip the system, we add beds, add oxygen, but, excuse me, we may not have enough doctors who can provide this medical assistance," the minister said.
Stepanov admitted the number of beds could be increased by another 15,000 units.