We do not intend to tighten measures, close cities and set up Police checkpoints: minister of health

"We do not intend to tighten measures, cities will not be closed, checkpoints will not be set up, no restrictive measures will be applied. We must get used to living with this virus and follow the current measures as prescribed, because they give greatest efficiency ", Bulgaria's Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov pointed out. At the moment, there are no plans for distance learning in schools.

14-day Covid-19 quarantine ends with no need of negative PCR test result

Home isolation for people who have tested positive for Covid-19 will end automatically after the 14-day period is over. This means that a negative PCR test result is no longer required for an end to the quarantine,stipulates an order issued by Health Minister Prof. Kostadin Angelov. By force of the same order, patients with Covid-19 who have been hospitalized will be discharged at the discretion of the attending physician and after certain diagnostic imaging results. This means that a negative PCR test result will no longer be required for hospital discharge.

Bulgarian government allocates more than 1 million euros for Remdesivir

At today's meeting, the government approved additional spending for the purchase of 2,500 vials of Remdesivir. The drug is essential for the treatment of coronavirus infection. The funds totaling 1.074 million euros come from the budget of the Ministry of Health. This was what Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov said at a briefing in the Council of Ministers. Minister Angelov pointed out that the price of one vial of Remdesivir is 345 euros without VAT. Bulgaria had received 2,837 vials of the drug as a donation. These vials have been distributed to all parts of the country. As of October 12, there are 1779 vials left.

13.5% of PCR tests performed return positive

785 is the number of new Covid-19 cases registered in Bulgaria over the past 24 hours, or 13.49 % of the 5,819 PCR tests performed. The highest number of cases is in Sofia - 259, followed by Plovdiv - 87, and Blagoevgrad - with 82 newly registered cases, indicate Single Information Portal data. 8 people have died over the past 24 hours and 164 have recovered. 1,307 patients with coronavirus are in hospital, 64 of them in intensive care. The number of active cases is 8,712. A total of 25,774 Covid-19 infections have been reported in Bulgaria since the start of the pandemic, 16,139 have so far recovered. 

Prime Minister calls on Bulgarians to be responsible during pandemic

We must all, as one, abide by the measures in force. Distance, disinfection, wearing masks and extra care are enough to protect ourselves. Nothing calls for additional restrictions, said Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during the online session of the government, BNR has reported. This dynamic environment, in which the number of people infected with Covid-19 has been rising also requires that institutions continue to be focused and that control remains tight. Especially now when the flu season is coming. We guarantee the provision at national level of all the necessary medicines for the treatment of patients with Covid-19, Borissov adds.

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