Hospitals in Sofia suspend planned admissions and non-emergency surgery as of 8 March

Planned hospital admissions, non-emergency surgery and hospital visiting hours  for hospitals in Sofia are being suspended as of Monday, 8 March, by order of the Sofia Health Inspectorate. Data show that the coronavirus infection rate for Sofia is now over 440 per 100,000 people. 
Exception will be made for planned transplantation procedures, treatment of oncological diseases, assisted reproduction and childbirth, rehabilitation, long-term treatment and psychiatric assistance.

Samples from Bulgaria to be tested in Germany for British coronavirus variant

Bulgaria has sent 600 samples to be tested in Germany so as to make an assessment of the spread of the British coronavirus variant in this country, Minister of Health Konstantin Angelov announced in Veliko Turnovo, BNR’s correspondent Zdravka Maslyankova reports. 
Minister Angelov added that for the time being no universal tightening of the restrictions for the whole country is envisaged. 
Kostadin Angelov stated also that the introduction of green vaccination passports for foreign tourists in this country is being discussed so as not to jeopardize the start of the summer tourist season.

Bulgaria reports 18% positive tests out of 12,167 tests in past day

Bulgaria has registered a total of 2,198 new cases of Covid-19 in the past day. 18% of the 12,167 tests performed are positive, according to the Single Information Portal. Most new cases are in Sofia  - 607, followed by Plovdiv with 183 and Varna with 142. The total number of infections since the beginning of the epidemic has reached 255,381. 
The active cases are currently 34,237. The number of hospitalized patients is 5,307. The patients in the intensive care units are 440. 
1,638 patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries since the start of the pandemic to 210,638. 
93 people have died in the past day, bringing the death toll to 10,506. 
In the last 24 hours, 20,376 people have been immunized. A total of 268,544 persons have already been vaccinated, 46,712 have received their second shot.  second dose.

No direct negotiation for the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, Bulgarian MPs decide

The MPs in the Bulgarian National Assembly did not support the proposal of the MPs from the biggest opposition party in parliament, the Bulgarian Socialist Party for the parliament to oblige the government to "take all necessary actions" to provide the Russian vaccine Sputnik V for the Bulgarian citizens. 
The government edited the text and the decision only obliges the cabinet to start "timely consultations with the European Commission to study the possibility of buying vaccines in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, which have been approved for use in countries outside the EU or the European Economic Area." 
Thus, the authorization for the use of the Russian vaccine in Bulgaria will depend on the approval of the European Medicines Agency, BTA reports.

Freelance musicians seek support in conditions of pandemic

Dozens of freelance musicians from various styles of music, among them many popular names, have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov demanding that an adequate mechanism be drawn up for assisting them in the conditions of pandemic. 
They point out that all sectors in the country which have been affected have received some kind of compensations, whereas freelance musicians have received no protection. They emphasize that many of them have been left with no income whatsoever indefinitely. 
“Music is not a decorative luxury to be enjoyed when times are good. What is lost now will be difficult to recover later,” they write.

Compiled by Gergana Mancheva and Radio Bulgaria’s “News” team