Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky diagnosed with Covid-19, says he 'feels well'

Ukraine's president has become the latest top politician in Kiev to be diagnosed with coronavirus as the healthcare crisis deepens in Europe's poorest country.

In a post on his official Telegram channel, Volodymyr Zelensky said that "there are no lucky people whom Covid-19 would not pose a threat to. Despite all the quarantine measures, I have also tested positive."

The president added that he has a temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius, within the normal range. "I feel well. I promise to self-isolate, and I will continue working," he added.

Last week, the country's top health official told reporters that Ukraine's hospitals "have reached the point of no return and are close to disaster." Maxim Stepanov, the head of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, warned on Tuesday that "the situation is critical not only in our country but all over the world."

Ukraine's healthcare system has struggled to deal with a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases, and was already severely affected by years of underinvestment, amid economic and political crises.

In the past 24 hours, the country recorded 8,687 new positive Covid-19 tests, although the true number is likely to be far higher. The news comes on the same day that Zelensky announced he would support Ministry of Health proposals to impose a "weekend quarantine," aimed at slowing the spread of infection while protecting the country's fragile economy.

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