Ukraine hits all-time death record amid vaccine hesitancy

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Coronavirus infections and deaths in Ukraine have surged to all-time highs amid a laggard pace of vaccination, with overall inoculations among the lowest in Europe. Ukrainian authorities on Thursday reported 22,415 new confirmed infections and 546 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic. The country has faced a steady rise in contagion in the past few weeks, which forced the government to introduce restrictions on access to public places and the use of public transport. Authorities have blamed a spike in infections on a slow pace of vaccination in the 41-million nation. Only about 15% of Ukrainians are fully vaccinated, Europe’s lowest level after Armenia.