Vice President Iliana Yotova diagnosed with coronavirus

Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Yotova has tested positive for coronavirus, the press office of the head of state reported. The vice president is in good general condition with mild symptoms. Her closest associates have also been tested and their results are negative. President Rumen Radev is in good health and has tested negative for coronavirus infection, Dondukov 2 reported. The last contact of the head of state with the vice president was on January 20. The necessary measures for disinfection of the working premises and for the normal functioning of the presidential institution have been taken, BTA has reported.

Second phase of Covid-19 vaccination has started

The second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination plan has started. Today, in several Bulgarian cities vaccines were administered to people from nursing homes while in others the preparation for vaccination of teachers, which starts on January 28, was underway, BTA reported. In Sofia, vaccination started in nursing homes in the Nadezhda and Zone B-5 quarters. A total of 30 people from both institutions wanted to be vaccinated and the number includes workers in the home. "A total of about 30% of those living in municipal homes have requested vaccination so far," Mayor Yordanka Fandakova, who was present at the first vaccination, said.

Owners and employees of restaurants, cafes hold national protest in Sofia

Owners and staff of catering establishments which were closed due to anti-epidemic measures held a national protest in front of the Council of Ministers in central Sofia. They insist on starting work on February 1, BNR reports. The protest was held under the motto "March to Freedom" and was organized by the Association of Restaurants and the Association of Catering Establishments in Bulgaria. They call for the resignation of Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov. The protesters believe that the pandemic in Bulgaria is being mismanaged and their right to work has been taken away, without satisfactory compensation decisions. The protest includes participants from Sofia and other cities in the country. Last night Bulgaria's Minister of Health issued an order according to which restaurants and cafes in Bulgaria will reopen on March 1.

Bulgaria reports 827 new cases of Covid-19 out of 15,656 tests performed

827 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 15,656 tests, data of the Single Coronavirus Information Portal updated at midnight show. 5.3% of the tests have returned positive result. The highest number of new infections was registered in Sofia-169, followed by Plovdiv-92 and Haskovo-61. 2,818 patients are being treated in hospital, 281 of whom in intensive care wards. 868 people have recovered and 36 patients have died in the past 24 hours. 2,324 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, thus bringing the total number of inoculations to 29,122. 29 medics have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. The total number of medics diagnosed with coronavirus infection has reached 9,443. There are 26,505 active cases of Covid-19 in Bulgaria.

PM Borissov says he understands, yet cannot accept demands of protesters

In front of cabinet ministers and mayors, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov commented on the protest of the restaurateurs against the restrictive measures that took place in Sofia. "Instead of rejoicing, we will now look for a way to boost the pandemic again and then we will need to close everything, as in other countries. Should we do it? .. We understand them too. That is why both the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Economy have taken so many support measures. 2 billion, plus the extra money for retirees, goes over 3 billion. Huge amounts of money," the prime minister said. Bulgarian Minister of Social Affairs Denitsa Sacheva also commented on the topic, saying that people feel discriminated against, because schools, gyms and malls reopen and they want the same. The minister added that the decision was difficult for the government as well, because it meant additional 35 million euros in compensation measures for employees in the industry.

Cyber attacks in Bulgaria are on the rise

In 2020, a total of 2,100 cyber incidents were registered in the Bulgarian Internet space, according to the State Agency for Electronic Government. This is an increase of 9% compared to 2019. The largest share of fraud is phishing - 47%, followed by incidents with malicious code - malware - 38%. The cyber attacks were aimed primarily at health authorities related to information about Covid-19. Financial institutions were also affected. Due to the new remote mode of work for many people, there is an increase in the exploited vulnerabilities in software for organizing and conducting online meetings and trainings, as well as in software for remote access, BTA reported.

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

Compiled by: Yoan Kolev and Radio Bulgaria’s news team

Translation: Radio Bulgaria’s English language team