“We are registering the first steps of the end of the third wave of Covid-19 with a very frail tendency towards a decline in incidence,” said Minister of Health Prof. Kostadin Angelov at the regular weekly briefing of the health authorities. The coronavirus positivity rate dropped by 3% in one day, and the number of recoveries has neared the number of new infections. There is no region of the country with over 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.

“This country is currently in 7^th position in the EU in coronavirus incidence rate with 635 per 100,000, and second in mortality rate,” Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev said. The regions with the highest number of new Covid-19 infections are Sofia, Varna, Pernik and Burgas, and with the lowest number – Razgrad, Vidin, Kurdzhali and Turgovishte. In the number of positive tests, of new infections and deaths, the numbers are lower than during the second wave of coronavirus, Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev said.

General Ventsislav Mutafchiyski, Head of the National Operational Headquarters, stated that the mortality rate continues its upward trend – 23 per 100,000 people, whereas with new infections there is a slight drop in numbers – by 0.5% compared to last week. The occupancy rate of hospital beds for patients without complications is 74% and for ICU beds - 64%.

In-person school attendance is partially being restored as of 12 April, Education Minister Krasimir Valchev announced. 1^st to 4^th grade children are going back to school, as are 7^th, 8^th and 10^th grade pupils for whom the rotation model of learning will apply, as they alternate with students from the upper grades. According to Minister Valchev the situation in education is good with half the number of sick and infected students and teachers thanks to vaccination and the partial in-person attendance. At the moment 500 members of the teaching and non-teaching staff have coronavirus.

Health Minister KostadinAngelov stated that people vaccinated with the first doze of the AstraZeneca vaccine have nothing to worry about because it has now been more than two weeks – the time in which the extremely rate complications are manifested. According to the European Medicines Agency’sconclusion “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects”of the Oxford vaccine. That is why doctors should pay particular attention to patients with shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling of the lower limbs and blurred vision, Prof. KostadinAngelov said.

Translated from the Bulgarian by Milena Daynova