Students expected to start in-person classes on January 31

Compared to other European countries, the restrictive measures against Covid-19 in this country are liberal and they yield results, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in Razlog, where together with Minister of Education Krassimir Valchev and MEP Andrey Novakov he visited the Vocational High School of Agricultural Mechanization. He also said that from January 31st, students from 5th to 12th grade will probably start in-person classes. "We have adopted another strategy with the National Operational Headquarters - during this time we are building schools, kindergartens, and people are working. If we let the students study, it will be very good," the prime minister said.

Coronavirus vaccines should be sold in pharmacies

Prof. Asena Serbezova, President of the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union has recommended that coronavirus vaccines should be sold in pharmacies when sufficient quantities are delivered. She also expressed the opinion that more specialists should be involved in vaccination. "Vaccination can be done safely in pharmacies and thus increase vaccine coverage," she told BNR. According to her, 15% of pharmacists have so far expressed a desire to be vaccinated. "Although we are also on the front line, the attitude of the state towards us is radically different," Prof. Serbezova said, adding that "some are constantly checked and fined,” while “others are constantly benefited even when there is no legal basis for that.”

Covid-19 vaccine do not cause immune reaction

Collective immunity against the coronavirus with the help of vaccines could be built at the end of the year, Velislava Petrova, doctor of immunology at King's College Cambridge, has told bTV. According to her, worries about the side effects of vaccination were not justified, as mortality from the virus is 3-4%, while the vaccine could cause a negative effect in only 3% of people with allergies. "The important thing is that the vaccine does not contain an active virus, but only a small part of its genome, giving the body information on how to build immunity," she said, adding that the vaccine did not cause immune reactions.

5660 recoveries and 552 new Covid-19 cases for a day

552 new cases of coronavirus were registered in the past 24 hours after 8850 tests, according to the Single Information Portal. This means that 6 percent of the samples were positive. The highest number of newly infected people is in Sofia - 103, followed by Burgas - 84 and Plovdiv - 49. The number of recoveries was 5660. 61 people passed away and 3500 patients are being treated in hospital as 343 of them are in intensive care wards. 17 medics have become infected and their total number reached 9256. So far, 18,126 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19, as 452 of the vaccinations were made in the past 24 hours.

Bulgarian painting "Earth Defeats Coronavirus" with prestigious award in Iran

Seven-year-old Miroslav Lazarov from Pleven has won a gold medal at an international festival in Iran on the topic of "Health" with his painting "The Earth Defeats Coronavirus", BTA reported. The young artist attends the "Colorit" art school in Pleven. His work has already been printed on a T-shirt and will be given to children in hospitals around the world. The coronavirus pandemic did not allow Miroslav Lazarov to personally receive his award at the ceremony in Iran and that is why it was presented to him by the country's ambassador to Bulgaria.

Compiled by: Diana Tsankova

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