4,041 newly-registered Covid-19 cases in another single-day record

A record-high number of 4,041 cases of Covid-19 have been registered in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 11,066 PCR tests performed, data of the Single Information Portal show. 36.52% of the PCR tests have returned positive. The highest number of new infections was registered in Sofia-1,619, followed by Plovdiv-337, Varna-203, Ruse-192, Blagoevgrad-177, Stara Zagora-141, Burgas-114, Montana-113, Shumen- 106 and Sofia District-101 cases of Covid-19.
2,922 patients with Covid-19 are receiving treatment in hospitals, 210 of whom in intensive care. 63 people have died and 507 people have recovered in the past 24 hours. 106 Bulgarian medics have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

Greece closes Promachonas border checkpoint for foreign nationals from 9 pm to 5 am

The Greek authorities have closed Promachonas border crossing for foreign nationals traveling in cars or buses between 9 pm and 5 am due to the complicated Covid-19 situation.

Only Greek nationals travelling by car or by bus will be allowed to cross the checkpoint from 9 pm to 5 am. However, they have to wait at the parking lot next to the border crossing until 5 am. The latest entry ban does not apply to cargo vehicles. The ban will be in force until November 17, 2020, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affair informs.

Online programme provides real time information on availability of Covid-19 beds in Plovdiv

As of today all hospitals in Plovdiv are starting to use a new online programme showing the availability of beds for Covid-19 patients. Thus, coordination between hospitals, emergency medical aid centers and the Regional Health Inspectorate is expected to improve.
The programme will provide real time information on the availability of Covid-19 beds in the region, BNR-Plovdiv informs.

Bulgarian hotels ready to admit Covid-19 patients

Bulgarian hotel operators are proposing that hotels remaining empty during the coming winter season be used to assist the healthcare system amid the complicated coronavirus situation. Thus, the authorities will not have to set up field hospitals for patients infected with coronavirus.

The costs for the accommodation of patients at hotels will be covered by the state, Bulgaria’s Deputy PM and Minister of Tourism Mariyana Nikolova said in an interview for Nova TV. The financing will be negotiated between the Bulgarian Ministry of Health and the hoteliers, Minister Nikolova specified. The tourism sector is expected to list the names of hotels that are to admit Covid-19 patients by the end of the week.

Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva self-isolates

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva is to self-isolate after Deputy Minister Petko Doikov tested positive for Covid-19 following a rapid test as part of the routine testing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs senior officials. Minister Zaharieva, who has no complaints and is in good general condition, continues to perform her official duties, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

PM Borissov: The country is not going to be closed

Two days before the end of his 14-day quarantine Prime Minister Boyko Borissov stated, on Facebook, that the country was not going to be closed.

“Don’t be misled by liars, that was what they were aiming at – a putsch, they want there to be no parliament now, no decisions made, no financing for the systems. At the beginning we did close the country but we didn’t know what coronavirus was, and back then it had an effect. Now we know that self-discipline, looking out for others, that is the only thing that is saving us,” the prime minister said. “500 people a day recover, the country is not going to stop, peoplemust be psychologically stable,” PM Borissov said, and added that everything has been provided for in the coming months, and after the appearance of the vaccine by April, the crisis will die down. 

Government considers new Covid-related compensation measures

“The government is considering new measures of compensation,” said Minister of Labour and Social Policy Denitsa Sacheva. “If new sectors need to be closed, sports or other kinds of events, new measures of compensation will have to be found, because the 60/40 measure is hardly likely to work. One option we are working on is to give double the unemployment benefits of 12 euro.  The other is for the workers to be given 80% of their contribution basis without any participation by the employer,”Minister Sacheva said. 
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is also considering how to help night clubs and educational centres because of the latest restrictions, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports.

Compiled by Darina Grigorova

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

You can also follow all latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak and all measures in Bulgaria in 9 more languages at Radio Bulgaria.