According to data collected in the past two weeks, Bulgaria already ranks third in Europe in terms of Covid-19 mortality and 13^th in terms of morbidity, this country’s Chief State Health Inspector Associate Professor Angel Kunchev announced at a briefing at the Ministry of Health. Covid-19 morbidity in Bulgaria reached 658 cases per 100,000 people on a 14-day basis.

“We need to decide whether we will observe the current anti-epidemic measures, or move to stricter measures that were already imposed in almost all European countries”, Associate Professor Angel Kunchev commented. Otherwise, we are to witness higher coronavirus morbidity and mortality, Angel Kunchev said further.

Bulgaria’s Minister of Health Professor Kostadin Angelov also pointed out that the measures against the coronavirus epidemic do not receive understanding and support from the citizens. “We hear opinions that such virus does not exist and that restrictions are affecting peoples’ freedoms”, Kostadin Angelov added:

A total of 4,330 medics have tested positive for Covid-19 and 31 have died since the beginning of the pandemic, Minister Angelov went on to say. In the past 24 hours only, 137 Bulgarian medics have been diagnosed with coronavirus infection. In Minister Angelov’s words, some medics were re-infected with Covid-19 which refutes the hypothesis that patients develop permanent immunity after the first infection.

Covid-19 zones have been already set up in half of the polyclinics in Sofia, Mayor Yordanka Fandakova informed. In five days only, nearly 1,600 people visited these Covid-19 zones and 29% of them were diagnosed with coronavirus infection with antigen tests.

As for the public transport, seven teams make inspections on a daily basis to make sure passengers observe the anti-epidemic measures. At the beginning of next week, the local authorities are to decide whether 6^th-12^th grade students will return to class, Yordanka Fandakova went on to say.

According to Professor Asen Baltov, Director of Pirogov Hospital for Emergency Medicine, the hospitals are “well prepared and equipped” and most of them have been already restructured.

“All patients will undergo medical consultations and admitted to hospital if necessary”, Asen Baltov has assured. Currently, 46% of the Covid-19 beds for patients with mild or moderate symptoms and 25% of the Covid-19 beds in intensive care units are occupied. 

Yesterday, two people died while waiting in front of a Covid-19 ward in the city of Plovdiv. On this occasion, Bulgaria’s Minister of Health launched a probe at the local hospital and approached the Prosecutor’s Office. There were enough doctors and nurses at that time and they worked with other patients, Minister Angelov explained and added that his orders are not always carried out in full by the hospital directors.

The health system is coping with the situation for now. However, Bulgaria will lose its medics, if we fail to comply with the anti-epidemic measures, Minister Angelov said in conclusion.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov