Bulgaria is 25^th in the EU in incidence of coronavirus, and 8^th in coronavirus death rate, Chief State Health Inspector Dr. Angel Kunchev announced at a briefing of the National Operational Headquarters. In his words, 23 indicators are monitored in Bulgaria every day, on the basis of which decisions are made what kind of measures must be taken to curb the spread of the infection. They include the age of the people infected and how much time it takes before they are hospitalized. “The fatality rate is falling and we are gradually being ousted from second place by a large group of countries. Malta has the highest death rate,” Angel Kunchev said.

Angel Kunchev stated that the situation with the spread of Covid-19 is not bad at this time but that it is expected to gradually worsen. “With the onset of a second wave in Europe and a growing number of cases in Bulgaria, there is no way we can lift the emergency epidemic situation,” he said. For the time being the health care system is able to cope with the number of cases.

“10,5% of the Covid hospital beds, and 4% of the intensive care beds are filled,” said Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov. He added that the shortage of medical specialists and the growing number medical staff who have contracted coronavirus could develop into a risk as the epidemic spreads.

The infection rate in kindergartens and in schools is not higher compared to the situation in the country as a whole, the participants in the briefing made it clear. 12 children of pre-school age, 117 schoolchildren, 14 kindergarten teachers and 72 school teachers have so far tested positive for coronavirus. 4,043 studentsand 116 teachers have been quarantined.

For the time being, in the army, the infection is spreading in clusters and is under control, said General Ventsislav Mutafchiyski, head of the Operational Headquarters. A total of 96 people in the army have contracted the virus.

The number of coronavirus cases has gone up by 1,550 over the past week. The number of active cases is 5,374, the total number of people infected since the start of the pandemic – 20,833. The death toll is 825, and the number of recoveries – 14,634.

“We cannot live with restrictions and shut up in our homes all our lives, that is why we need to develop habits like wearing a mask indoors, observing hygiene rules and disinfection, keeping a social and physical distance of 1.5 metres,” Minister Angelov said.