Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said on Saturday he had tested positive for COVID-19, shortly after announcing the country had posted a record number of new cases in a single day.

"This is a war, every day the virus takes the lives of Ukrainians," Stepanov told a televised briefing at which he said 12,524 new cases had been registered in the previous 24 hours, up from the record of 11,787 a day earlier.

The number of confirmed infections in Ukraine has reached 525,176, with 9,508 deaths. 

Stepanov, 45, later wrote on the Telegram messaging app: "Despite being careful and following all safety rules, I tested positive for COVID-19 today." He said he would continue working remotely.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is among those in hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.