“Unlike the previous Covid waves, this time we made advance preparations. We have a plan, we provided medicines in advance, we are opening Covid hospital beds on a step-by-step basis, a sufficient amount of oxygen has been provided,” Minister of Health Stoycho Katsarov stated at a meeting with the ambassadors of the EU countries to Bulgaria. He pointed out that in recent weeks the number of infections has been growing and the health system is nearing its maximum capacity.

“The pandemic situation in the country is grave but is still under control,” Minister Katsarov said. “If the measures introduced with the green certificate do not work, then the alternative is to impose a lockdown,” he added.

In his words a lockdown can still be avoided. Minister Stoycho Katsarov explained the low vaccination rate with the distrust in the authorities during the past 10-15 years of rule by populist governments.