Minister Borisov: Bulgaria’s economy does well amid Covid-19 pandemic

It will become clear after December 17 whether the anti-epidemic measures will be eased, when the analyses of the health and other ministers are to be presented, Bulgaria’s Minister of Economy Lachezar Borisov said in an interview with bTV. Bulgaria’s economy is doing well amid Covid-19 pandemic, Minister Borisov pointed out. The moratorium on loans has helped businesses a lot. Payments to the tune of over EUR 31 billion have been deferred. Bulgaria also does well in terms of unemployment, Lachezar Borisov added. 250,000 jobs were preserved due to measures such as the 60:40 wage support scheme. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the National Employment Agency has found jobs for 200,000 people, Minister Borisov went on to say.

Tsvetan Simeonov: Businesses without prospects should reinvent themselves instead of being supported

“The numerous conditions businesses have to meet to avail themselves of the government support measures during the pandemic and the cumbersome administration is what has hindered a great many firms from benefiting from them,” Tsvetan Simeonov, President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated for the BNR’s Horizont channel. “Our administration is as yet unable to introduce e-government and everything is going terribly sluggishly and painfully.” In Tsvetan Simeonov’s words the attention of the state has so far been on keeping the existing businesses afloat, but that is a wrong message to convey. It would be better for those that do not have good prospects in the new conditions to reinvent themselves in a new sector or a new type of activity, Tsvetan Simeonov added.

GPs to issue referrals for rapid antigen tests

Bulgaria has received nearly 1,200,000 antigen tests, this country’s Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov announced at an extraordinary briefing after a meeting with the directors of the six Regional Health Inspectorates in charge of the organization of the future vaccination against Covid-19, BNR reporters inform. Next week, positive rapid antigen tests are expected to be equated with PCR tests. GPs will also issue referrals for them. The results of the antigen tests will also enter the Covid-19 morbidity registries. Minister Angelov pointed out that the vaccine, which is expected in Bulgaria, has passed all phases of clinical trials and is very reliable. Minister Angelov said he was against the easing of restrictive measures after December 21, when the current partial lockdown with closed restaurants and shopping centers, e-learning and closed kindergartens and nurseries ends.

Bulgarians are tired of strict anti-epidemic measures

59.3% of respondents say they approve of lifting of the restrictive measures as of 21 December, 21.8% are against, a Gallup International survey, conducted on 9 December indicates. 47.8% of the respondents say that masks, distancing and hygiene are enough to contain Covid-19. When they were introduced the majority of people in the country supported tighter restrictive measures and lockdown, whereas now only 39.2% say they approve of them. Opinion is also divided on how effective distance learning is. 42.1% say they want students to go back to school, 41.7% are against. 41.3% of the respondents say they will get vaccinated, 46.7% say they do not intend to. 36.7% say they trust doctors amidst the pandemic, but 35.2% say they do not. 74.4% state they plan to see friends and family during the holidays, 18.2% say they will continue their isolation.

1/3 of Bulgarian medics are ready to be vaccinated against Covid-19

33% of medical specialists in this country or a total of 37,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and dentists, have expressed willingness to be vaccinated against Covid-19, head of the health inspectorate in Burgas Georgi Pazderov said. The statement came after a national meeting with the Minister of Health on the upcoming vaccination. 47 mobile teams in Bulgaria will carry out the vaccination in the country divided into 6 regions with bases in Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv, Vratsa and Sofia. Another 40 mobile teams will be provided, Pazderov said and added manipulations would take place in healthcare facilities. Once vaccine data came out, the percentage of people willing to get it would rise, health authorities say.

Bulgarian aid reaches humanitarian center for children in Skopje

Bulgarian ambassador Angel Angelov and his wife Biliana brought food packages to thirty households using the help of the “Dose of Happiness” day center in Skopje. The center specializes in working with children with Down syndrome. The humanitarian aid was provided after a decision of the Bulgarian government at the initiative of Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva. We have already made donations to 250 families with children with special needs from North Macedonia. These are over 2 tons of food and disinfectants, Ambassador Angelov said. The day center expressed their gratitude to Bulgaria for the attention and the humane act, BGNES has reported.

Bulgaria reports 30% positive PCR tests

497 news cases of Covid-19 have been registered in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 1,634 PCR tests performed. 30.42% of the PCR tests have returned positive. The highest number of newly-registered coronavirus cases is in Sofia-131, followed by Varna-71 and Burgas-65, data of the Single Information Portal show. 62 patients have died and 1,963 people have recovered in the past 24 hours. 7,244 people are receiving treatment in hospitals, 590 of whom in intensive care wards. The active cases are 90,041.

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Editor: Yoan Kolev