Ukraine reports 354 flu deaths since start of October

KIEV.  November 20. KAZINFORM   The death toll from the ongoing flu epidemic in Ukraine has reached 354 since the start of October, the country's health ministry said on Friday,  Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.

The ministry said over 1.54 million people have been infected since the outbreak began.

The number of officially confirmed swine flu deaths in the country has reached 17, with 255 people infected.

Earlier, 328 flu deaths were reported across the country, with a total of 1.46 million people infected. There were 15 swine flu deaths registered in the country as of November 18, with 166 people infected.

Ukrainian health officials say the situation has stabilized, and that quarantine measures imposed by the government in nine western provinces in late October in an attempt to curb the spread of flu may be lifted by the end of the week.

In early November, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) chief, Raisa Bohatyryova, said there were "constitutional prerequisites" for a state of emergency amid the flu epidemic,  Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

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