KYIV (Reuters) – The wife of Ukraine’s President, Olena Zelenska, was hospitalized after contracting coronavirus and her condition was stable, the presidential office said on Tuesday, adding a fresh test of her husband showed he remained negative.
Zelenska said last week she had tested positive for coronavirus, while her husband Volodymyr Zelenskiy and their two children had tested negative. The President also cancelled all meetings and visits.
“Olena Zelenska’s current diagnosis is COVID-19 – bilateral polysegmental pneumonia of moderate severity. (She) Does not require oxygen donation. The condition is stable,” the office said in a statement.
It said Olena was isolated and under medical supervision. The new tests of President and children were negative.
Ukraine went into lockdown in March, preventing a massive spread of coronavirus. In late May the government began to ease the restrictions, allowing restaurants, gyms, and public transport to operate. Since June 15, the country resumed air flights to and from the country.
However in recent days Ukraine has seen a significant rise in coronavirus cases, which the government attributes to the neglect by citizens of medical steps to contain the infection.
“We all confused the mitigation of quarantine measures with the complete abolition of all restrictions that exist in the country,” health minister Maksym Stepanov told a televised briefing on Tuesday.
Ukraine reported 32,476 coronavirus cases as of June 16, including 912 deaths.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk)
