Ukraine president urges vaccinations as contagion soars

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president is pleading with citizens to get vaccinated as daily infections have soared to another all-time high. The Health Ministry on Friday reported 26,870 new confirmed infections in 24 hours. That’s the highest level since the start of the pandemic. It recorded 648 daily deaths to take the total death toll to 66,852. Authorities blamed the surge in infections and deaths on a low level of vaccination. Just 16.4% percent of people in the nation of 41 million are fully vaccinated — the second-lowest rate in Europe after Armenia’s 7%. The slow pace of vaccinations in Ukraine and other countries of Eastern Europe has been blamed on public distrust of authorities that has contributed to the spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines.