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

Ukraine registered a record 8,899 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the ministry said, up from the October 30 high of 8,312. Total infections stood at 411,093 with 7,532 deaths, according to Reuters.

“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.

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