MEP: Member States are those which can impose travel restrictions amid pandemic

There is still no single European health policy. The EU would benefit from higher added value if it coordinates the member states during the pandemic, MEP Andrey Kovatchev told BNR.
Currently, there is no single EU travel form, Andrey Kovatchev said in response to the question whether there will be European immunity passports that will allow people who take a Covid-19 vaccine to travel freely. "This certainly cannot be an EU policy, because the EU does not have such competences. It is member states that can impose such restrictions", MEP Kovatchev pointed out.
Regarding the doubts and resistance against mass vaccination, MEP Kovatchev noted that "a completely transparent information campaign with accurate scientific data is needed for each vaccine."

Rapid antigen tests expected to be equated with PCR tests: Health minister

Minister of Health Prof. Kostadin Angelov stated that efforts were underway to equate rapid antigen tests with PCR tests. 
Most Bulgarian experts are of the opinion that such a decision must be made. In the words of Prof. Angelov, there is no categorical position on the matter at a European level as yet, though there is such a recommendation.

Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova: Anti-epidemic measures should remain in place

Sofia municipality is ready to re-open nurseries and crèches on 14 December, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova stated. 
In her words the anti-epidemic measures in the capital city should remain in place as Sofia remains in the Covid-19 red zone.

Bulgaria reports 44% positive PCR tests in past day

2,764 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 6,260 PCR tests performed, data of the Single Information Portal show.
A total of 1,023,067 PCR tests have been performed since the beginning of the pandemic. The total number of Covid-19 cases has reached 164,185. There are 93,559 active cases of coronavirus infection at present. 6,821 patients are receiving treatment in hospitals, 523 of whom in intensive care units. 213 patients have died in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 5,050 people.
3,370 people have recovered from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. The number of new recoveries significantly exceeds the number of new infections. A total of 65,616 patients have recovered since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

20 new ambulances for the emergency medical services

Minister of Health Prof. Kostadin Angelov handed 20 new and equipped ambulances over to the emergency medical services in Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Varna, Dobrich and Turgovishte. The ambulances were financed under the project “Support for the development of the emergency medical system”.

Businesses want changes to Labor Code because of distance work

40 percent of employers have introduced distance work, partially or fully, in almost all sectors, according to the annual survey of the Bulgarian Industrial Association. According to research, communicating over the Internet makes employees more tired than face-to-face contacts and remote work in some cases leads to overwork.

In the long run, this practice would have a detrimental effect on health and productivity. There are problems in teamwork and mentoring, the association also said. To solve the problems of the new realities, businesses want changes to the Labor Code, BTA reports.

Surge in number of newly-registered unemployed

The National Statistical Institute has reported a surge in the number of newly registered unemployed over the first week of December - over 14,200 people. A little over 3,400 people have found jobs in the same period thanks to the employment offices. Data come from a specialized monitoring report of the labor market at the backdrop of Covid-19, BNR reporter Maria Kostova said.For the first week of December the biggest number of newly registered unemployed was registered in Sofia - 1264, as 411 people found employment. More than 1,000 newly-unemployed people were registered during this period in Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad, Burgas, and Varna. From February 3, when the monitoring began, until December 6, over 361,000 people were registered in the labor offices and a little over 227,500 found employment.

Holding parliamentary elections in March poses risks: Information Services company chairman

Machine voting is a medical risk, the head of the state-run company Information Services, Prof. Mihail Konstantinov, told Nova TV. If elections are to be held at the end of March, "there is a great danger that the turnout would be very low because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the new government would be illegitimate," he said, giving as an example the record low turnout on December 6 in Romania.
There is a flaw in the electoral legislation with regard to people under quarantine who will not be able to vote and their constitutional rights will be violated. He therefore called for legislative amendments that would solve the problem by setting up mobile election commissions of people who have contracted and  recovered from the disease.

Compiled by Diana Tsankova

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