Covid-19 morbidity falls to 90 cases per 100,000 people

The anti-epidemic measures adopted in Bulgaria to contain the spread of Covid-19 continue to yield positive results and the number of coronavirus recoveries is nearly twice bigger then the number of new infections, said Bulgaria’s Minister of Health Professor Kostadin Angelov at the regular weekly briefing. The daily Covid-19 morbidity has fallen below 100 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people, added Minister Angelov. In his words, only three Bulgarian districts - Vratsa, Kyustendil and Pleven are still red zones in terms of Covid-19 morbidity.

Bulgaria now ranks 27th in the EU in terms of coronavirus morbidity and 11th in the EU in terms of Covid-19 mortality, informed Bulgaria’s Chief State Health Inspector Associate Professor Angel Kunchev.

Mass vaccination in Bulgaria may begin in late February

Mass vaccination is expected to begin at the end of February, this country’s Minister of Health added. 1 million Bulgarians will be inoculated against Covid-19 until the end of June with the two vaccines approved by the European Union. If the Oxford vaccine receives official approval, some 2 million Bulgarians will be inoculated until then, contends Bogdan Kirilov, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Drug Agency. The general practitioners will be able to inoculate up to 20 people a day.

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Bulgaria reports 598 new cases of Covid-19 out of 13,279 tests performed

598 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 13,279 tests performed. 4.5% of the tests have returned positive result, indicate data of the Single Coronavirus Information Portal. 150 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Sofia.

28 patients have died and 627 people have recovered in the past 24 hours.

3,795 people have been inoculated in the past day. A total of 7,672 Bulgarians have already received their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

There are 26,448 active cases of coronavirus infection at present. 2,865 people are being treated in hospitals, 265 of whom in intensive care units.

GPs in Bulgaria to start making lists of people willing to be vaccinated

All Bulgarian citizens who wish to be vaccinated against Covid-19 must declare their wish to their GPs, the Bulgarian Medical Association announced. Registration for the free and voluntary immunization against Covid-19 can be done by phone or by visiting one's GP. The lists will be constantly updated with latest data..

The fourth phase of the National Vaccination Plan, which is part of the mass vaccination, is expected to start by the end of February, the statement quoted by BTA reads.

People under quarantine or in hospital to cast votes in mobile ballot boxes

Bulgarian MPs have adopted amendments to the State of Emergency Act. According to them, people placed under quarantine or in hospital will be able to vote thanks to mobile ballot boxes. Citizens need to declare their wish to vote in this way no later than three days before election day.

Election commissions in different sections will be able to be composed of at least three members, regardless of whether the polling section is in Bulgaria or abroad. Vote with an expired ID card is also possible, BNR’s reporter Violeta Ashikova informed.

Lockdown concerns Bulgarians more than Covid-19

Business closures are a cause for greater concern among Bulgarians than the health emergency itself, indicates an analysis of Gallup International sociological agency, which is to be presented today at an online discussion themed “Covid-19-where do we go from here”.

Concerns about the future reached the levels registered at the end of 2012, which had triggered civil protests back then. In other words, the concerns about the economy and the personal finance are slightly explosive and may lead to certain negative voting against the parties in the current government, Parvan Simeonov, Executive Director of Gallup International commented in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio. 

Gallup’s survey was commissioned by MEP Tsvetelina Penkova.

Laboratory for PCR testing opens in Bulgaria’s ski resort Bansko

A PCR laboratory was set up in Bulgaria’s ski resort Bansko in the Pirin Mountain. Residents and guests of the Bulgarian resort, as well as athletes taking part at the winter sports competitions in Bansko, will be able to undergo Covid-19 testing.

This was announced by the Municipality of Bansko. The concessionaire of the local ski zone and Bansko Municipality came up with the idea to open a laboratory for PCR testing.

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

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Compiled by Diana Tsankova

English version: Radio Bulgaria's English team