577 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Bulgaria

According to the latest data from the National Headquarters, the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Bulgaria is 577. To date, 12 new cases have been proved: 7 in Sofia, 3 in Stara Zagora, 1 in Plovdiv and 1 in Kardzhali. 213 persons with confirmed Covid-19 have been hospitalized, 21 of them are in intensive care. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases among medical staff is 31. There have been 23 deaths of patients with Covid-19 infection. 42 people have recovered.

The state is trying to reach each and every one

60,000 vulnerable members of the society are being provided with food and another 40,000 are yet to receive food products, Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev declared at a briefing in a reply to the forecast of President Rumen Radev of possible “hunger riots” Minister Donchev added that besides the schemes and measures now in place, other measures are being considered as well, including aid for the smallest enterprises.

President Rumen Radev calls for plan for exiting emergency measures

Measures should be taken for the mental health to ensure that there are no hungry people because hungry person will go out on a mass scale, the President said after his visit to Pirogov Hospital today. There must be well-defined crisis management. The virus will still be here after 13 May. Are we still going to be in this same situation? We have to consider how to come out of the current situation safely and quickly, said President Rumen Radev. I will definitely not be the one to turn the state into a morgue, Bulgarian PM Borissov wrote in Facebook. I prefer to endure all criticisms regarding the restrictive measures, to endure a series of adversities, but to stay alive, he added.

Genеral Ventsislav Mutafchiyski: Society is mobilized to deal with the epidemic

The state has been making great efforts to preserve the viability of hospitals in the face of the epidemic so that they can take the brunt of its larger-scale expansion. So far Bulgaria has been managing to control the spread of the virus, and the number of Covid-19 patients stands at the average level for other countries, the head of the national crisis headquarters, Gen. Mutafchiyski said at a briefing.He pointed out the headquarters had recommended that all hospitals in Bulgaria, with the exception of oncology hospitals, should establish separate wards for coronavirus-infected patients. Gen. Mutafchiyski also acknowledged the rise of charity activity in the whole society and its motivation to deal with the situation. “We have achieved good results; bodies cannot be hidden and we have no rise in mortality rate,” he added.

Bulgaria starts production of medicines against COVID-19

Bulgaria is to start the production of the medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine known for treatment of malaria. There has been medical evidence that they give good results in the treatment of COVID-19. Bulgaria also expects delivery of the same medications from China, Taiwan and India, but there is no guarantee that agreements will be kept.These medicines are not authorized for sale in drugstores in Bulgaria. They will only be delivered to hospitals for the treatment of coronavirus patients.

Health application ViruSafe against Covid-19 now operational

The system introduced by Bulgaria's Ministry of Health provides centralized management and storage of information for all diagnosed and quarantined persons. It provides functional security to all competent institutions involved in the fight against COVID-19. The application is the result of voluntary work of Bulgarian IT experts and gives the opportunity for all people in Bulgaria to join it and fill in their daily health indicators and symptoms.

Draft project envisages retail chains to sell at least 50% Bulgarian food products

Store chains will be obliged to sell Bulgarian food products, which will occupy at least half of their retail space. This applies to major food groups - dairy and meat products, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as canned food. They will need to be purchased directly from the manufacturers. Products will not be available at promotional prices unless if agreed with manufacturers. This is what a project, to be introduced by a Council of Ministers decree and which is to remain in force until the end of this year, envisages. The aim is to support Bulgarian producers in times of crisis. The Association for Modern Trade, which unites major retail chains in Bulgaria, has voiced sharp disagreement with the draft decree. According to them, the idea violates basic principles of the market economy.

Taxi drivers and restaurant workers protest in Sofia

Taxi drivers took to the streets to protest and occupied the space in front of parliament building downtown Sofia.They are concerned that due to the state of emergency and the sharp decline in the number of clients there will be widespread bankruptcies. According to data from the sector, no more than one-third of the 6,000 taxis in the capital city are now working. Twenty chefs, restaurateurs, bartenders and waiters also came forward to protest at the Council of Ministers. Most of them have been placed on unpaid leave or have been made redundant. “At the moment we are at home without any income, the banks do not lend us loans, and the social authorities tell us to call next month," one of the protesters said.

Bulgaria recalls consul from the Netherlands over “coronavirus tax”

Svilen Iliev illegally collected tax from the visitors at the consular service - 5 euros for Bulgarian citizens and 10 euros for foreigners. Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva pointed out that such behavior was completely incompatible with Bulgarian diplomatic service.

You can find all stories and important publications related to COVID-19 in Bulgaria at our special coverage section in English.