Ukraine said on Friday it was considering the reimposition of coronavirus restrictions in several regions as infections surged after the lifting of a lockdown. Health Minister Maksym Stepanov told reporters that "in certain regions, strict restrictions must be imposed" again after the country eased lockdown measures. Stepanov did not clarify which restrictions should be re-introduced or where. He added that the number of coronavirus patients who needed to be hospitalised was also rising across the country. On Friday, Ukraine registered its largest daily increase in coronavirus infections, with the new cases rising by 921 in a single day and the total caseload now approaching 35,000. Ukrainian authorities said that the number of cases had risen in 15 out of 24 regions. The western regions of Lviv and Rivne and the capital Kiev were the hardest-hit. Officials have repeatedly pointed out that many people ignore safety rules after lockdown restrictions were eased last month with the reopening of parks, outdoor cafes and beauty salons. But some critics have said the uptick in infections is linked to the authorities' inability to identify new cases and prevent the spread of infections. Lockdown measures eased in late May and early June with a resumption of public transport, including metro systems and long-distance and local train services. In early June, Ukraine launched domestic flights and restarted international flights this week. In addition to Ukraine, several other post-Soviet countries including Armenia and Azerbaijan have seen a surge in coronavirus cases after easing lockdown measures. From Sunday Azerbaijan will reinstate a tight coronavirus lockdown to contain the spread of the disease, officials said this week. dg/as/bsp