Crisis causes deflation of 0.6% in April

The National Statistical Institute has reported a deflation of 0.6% in April compared to March. Inflation is 1.8 percent compared to April 2019.

The biggest drop is in transport prices - 6.8%, because in April buses and flights almost stopped. The blocked culture sector also reported a decline of 3.6%. Expenditures related to housing - water, electricity, gas decreased by 2.1%. Clothing and footwear prices rose the most - by 6.3%, with trade almost entirely conducted online. Food prices rose by 0.9%, health care by 0.3%, personal care products rose by 0.5%, medicines by 0.4%, the national statistics showed.

Shopping malls and gyms reopen under strict hygienic measures

Shopping malls and gyms have reopened today across Bulgaria following an order by Bulgaria's Healthcare Minister.  In large shopping centres there must be separate doors for entry and exit and a mandatory distance of 1.5 meters must be observed between customers. Masks are mandatory in all interior spaces and store tenants must provide disinfectants. Food consumption is allowed only on the terraces. It is also allowed to try on clothes and shoes.

The training practices in gyms must be carried out at a distance of 1.5 metres, with no more than 10 participants in group activities. All fitness appliances will be disinfected after each client and the service rooms (bathrooms, changing rooms and toilets) will be used under strict hygiene.

Number of Covid-19 patients rises by 1.1% per day

For the past 24 hours in Bulgaria, 24 new cases of patients with Covid-19 have been identified. The rise is by 1.1%. At the end of the week, fewer samples were taken than usual – 362.

With the new patients, the total number of people diagnosed with coronavirus has reached 2,235. Out of these, 1513 cases are active. 6% of those infected are under the age of 18 or a total of 133 cases. Infected medics are 242 or 11%, and there have been two new cases in the past 24 hours. The number of recovered patients has reached 612 as 14 people recovered during the past day.

The death toll has reached 110 as two new deaths were reported in the past day. Both patients had comorbidities.

New type of testing for Covid-19 in Sofia University Hospital

The University Hospital "St. Ivan Rilski ”in Sofia is introducing a new, fully automated system for coronavirus diagnosis. The CMIA type test is CE marked. According to world standards, this is the highest level of reliability, the hospital said.

Unlike the "quick tests" used so far, the new method gives a much higher productivity of 180 units per 1 hour. In addition to rapid administration of the samples, it allows tracking of the stages in which the disease develops. For patients who are being treated or admitted to hospital, the test will be free. The new method will replace the "rapid tests" that are currently mandatory.

Vice President Yotova calls for setting up economic headquarters

A permanent economic headquarters and a detailed timeline of measures that Bulgaria would take in the coming months to overcome the Covid-19 crisis is what Vice President Iliana Yotova has called for.

The economic and social crisis is knocking on our door. I'm not saying current measures are bad, but they are few, insufficient, uncoordinated. Ultimately, a much more serious body needs to deal with what lies ahead in the coming months. According to the European Commission, Bulgaria will have a 10.6% decline in GDP, while our Ministry of Finance is talking about 3%, Yotova said and added that experience had taught her to trust the forecasts of the European Commission.

Bulgarians prefer summer vacation in own country

In the conditions of Covid-19 pandemic, Bulgaria is preferred destination in the plans of Bulgarians for summer vacation, according to a survey by Gallup International. 70% of respondents view Bulgaria's potential for summer tourism as good or very good. 1/4 are of the opposite opinion. From 1.1 million people planning to go on summer vacation months ago, in May their number dropped to 300,000. Over 80% of them are willing to support Bulgarian tourism and go to the Black Sea coast, which is a rise of 10 percent.

2/3 of those planning to spend their holidays abroad prefer to go to Greece. 80% of tourists are preparing to travel by car. The average planned vacation is 9 days-long, at an average price of 650 euros.

Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Greece to coordinate tourist trips

If the prevalence of Covid-19 remained low, indoor restaurants could be opened in hotels, Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova has said. The main priority for the ministry is to attract Bulgarian tourists to the Black Sea coast.

A video conference call with the prime ministers of Romania, Serbia and Greece will take place on Tuesday to coordinate details on conducting tourist journeys. There is no way to have tourism when there is quarantine. The situation makes people more reluctant to travel, Minister Angelkova said. She believes that at this stage road transport remains the most accessible and safest for tourists.

Greenpeace-Bulgaria calls for green and fair recovery from the Covid-19 crisis

With the call "Back to the Future", environmentalists from Greenpeace Bulgaria have appealed to the authorities to put human health and the environment first in their decisions. The current crisis is an opportunity to move into the future with new practices to reduce the human footprint on the planet.

According to environmental activists, Bulgaria's economy, energy and infrastructure need to become "greener" and more resilient to crises.

Bulgarian IT sector adapts to the crisis

The transition of work from offices to work from home in Bulgarian companies in the IT sector has gone smoothly and has not affected business processes. In a number of other countries, for example in Asia, this was not the case, Iliya Krastev, chairman of the Association for Innovation, Business Services and Technologies, has told the BNR.

All the markets we compete with have experienced more difficulties than us, Krastev says. Among the negative effects of the crisis that he points out are delayed payments and disturbed liquidity of the companies. Another negative impact is observed in projects, which are in development phase and they either stop or slow down.

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova and Radio Bulgaria's News Team

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