KIEV - The Ukrainian government announced Wednesday that it will introduce a compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for civil servants and education workers.

"We consider it expedient to make a tough decision to ensure the safety of the educational process and the functioning of public authorities," Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko was quoted as saying by the government's press service.

The vaccination coverage among other priority professional groups in Ukraine, namely healthcare, defense and law enforcement workers, has reached 80 percent, the minister said.

As of Wednesday, 2,362,559 COVID-19 cases and 55,161 deaths were registered in Ukraine, while 2,235,668 patients recovered, according to the health ministry.

According to the official data, more than 5.2 million Ukrainians have been fully vaccinated so far.