Health officials have expressed satisfaction with the current situation related to Covid-19 in the country. "We are pleased with the results achieved," Minister of Health Prof. Kostadin Angelov said at a regular briefing on the spread of the coronavirus. According to him, a good sign was the fact there was not much pressure on hospitals and enough hospital beds were available.

The Minister added that the situation allowed for a confident continuation of the plan for loosening anti-epidemic measures every 14 days. However, if more than 200 people per 100,000 became infected, the decisions taken would be reconsidered, he said.

The incidence of coronavirus cases has increased by 24% this week compared to the previous seven days and half of the country's districts are now in the red zone, Gen. Ventsislav Mutafchiyski, Head of the National Operational Headquarters, said.

Last week the number of patients was 139 per 100,000, but now figures show 173 per 100,000. The number of deaths has declined by 9% and currently the level is 7.3 percent. There is still a gradual increase in the number of new infections, Gen. Mutafchiyski said. So far, the South African and Brazilian strains of Covid-19 have not been found in Bulgaria.

The National Operational Headquarters recommends start of vaccination of people included in the fourth phase of the process- the elderly and the chronically ill. Although this country lags behind when it comes to the number of vaccinated people, Prof. Kostadin Angelov said that the vaccination plan was not about to fail and expressed expectation for accelerated pace of vaccination. According to the head of the University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment and Emergency Medicine “Pirogov”, Prof. Asen Baltov, just 30% of the people who expressed wish to get vaccinated actually went to do it. By the end of the month, 240,000 doses of vaccines are expected in Bulgaria and over 500,000 in March, Bogdan Kirilov, head of the Medicines Agency said.

This week Bulgaria ranks 25th in morbidity and 15th when it comes to coronavirus mortality in the European Union.

English: Alexander Markov

Photos: BGNES