Number of Covid-19 infection cases in Bulgaria reaches 1506

According to data from the National Operational Headquarters against the spread of Covid-19 from 5:00 pm on April 30, the confirmed number of cases of infection in Bulgaria has already reached 1506, out of which 751 are men and 755 are women.Today, 18 new cases have been proven - 2 in the Sofia District, 13 in Vidin District and 3 in Yambol District. Out of a total of 317 hospitalized patients, 40 are placed in intensive care. The number of medical staff with confirmed coronavirus infection is 164. The number of deceased persons with established COVID-19 infection has reached 66. The number of recovered patients has reached 266.

Blood plasma treatment of Covid-19 patient performed for first time in Bulgaria

The Military Medical Academy in Sofia has used blood plasma from volunteers for infusion to a coronavirus patient in a serious condition, General Ventsislav Mutafchiyski has informed. According to him, the patient is in good condition. The Military Medical Academy is the only hospital with its own blood bank as it is a strategic institution.

Bulgaria at 4.6% level in Covid-19 mortality

"The most accurate indicator is the number of deaths because they are registered," Academician Angel Galabov has told the BNR. He explains the lower mortality rate in Bulgaria with "some genetic features of Bulgarians". In comparison, the mortality rate in Italy is 10 percent. According to the expert, it was impossible to predict how the coronavirus epidemic would develop, and the only proven reliable means against it is quarantine. He believes that quarantine measures may even need to be tightened.

Mass test in Plovdiv to show spread of infection across country

The national representative survey on Covid-19, which will be held in Plovdiv and the region, envisages a thousand randomly selected citizens being surveyed with the so-called. ELISA tests. It will cover different social groups, people of different ages from neighborhoods with the lowest and highest morbidity rates, commented State Inspector General Angel Kunchev, who discussed with the local administration the methodology of the study. According to the expert, the results will present a picture of the spread of the infection throughout the country

People with blood supply problems are more vulnerable to coronavirus: Professor Alexander Tsankov

The patients who are seriously affected by the coronavirus infection have problems with their blood vessels, the head of the Histopathology lab and the Postmortal Diagnostics with the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, Professor Dr. Alexander Tsankov said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio. Professor Tsankov's team did autopsies of 21 patients who died of Covid-19 in Switzerland. Only 15% of them had chronic lung diseases. It also became clear that hypertension, male gender, advanced age, cardiovascular diseases and overweight are also risky factors. The ratio between deceased men and women was 17:4.  The number of people with blood type A which is characterized with more active blood clotting prevails. The functioning of the endothelial cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels was disrupted in all cases.

Sharp deterioration of business climate registered in April

In April, the overall business climate indicator in Bulgaria has fallen by nearly 42 points from its March level and is 37 points below the long-term average over the past decade. Compared to February 1997, when the long-term minimum was marked, the current level is just 4.4 points higher, the NSI reported.Uncertainty and pessimistic assessments for the situation in the next three months are a major problem in all the industries observed. In the first four months of the year, the average capacity utilization declined by 10.1 points to just 67.9%.

Sofia city council updates budget

Because of the Covid-19 crisis, municipal councilors have decided to cut 23.4 million Bulgarian levs from the 1.5 billion budget of Sofia. In the first four months of the year, the decline in planned revenues was 90 million levs, said Mayor Yordanka Fandakova. "The update will retain all planned funding for strategic priorities such as the subway, internal transport, ring road connections, the construction of kindergartens and nurseries, investments in municipal hospitals and maintenance of social services." she added.

Newly registered unemployed Bulgarians are now over 106,000

Head of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, Plamen Dimitrov, has told the BNR that more than 106,000 unemployed people have registered with the labor offices since the declaration of the state of emergency on March 13 until April 24.Those who have remained unemployed mostly come from the trade, tourism and restaurant business, as well as the service sector and part of the manufacturing industry. More than 90% of the unemployed people are with primary and lower education and over 30% are over 55 years of age. Recruitment continues during the crisis, with 17,000 people who stared work through the labor offices in March.

Bulgaria’s vegetable producers to receive additional state support

The Bulgarian vegetable growers will receive additional state support, it became clear at an extraordinary briefing of this country’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Desislava Taneva. The proposal was made by vegetable producer Krasimir Kunchev and envisages that vegetable growers who produce and sell their produce will receive additional state subsidy as a percentage of their income. The measure will stimulate legal trade with invoices that will be issued at a real, not a discounted price.

Construction sector has the potential to become engine of economic growth: Bulgarian Construction Chamber

The construction sector continues to function in full gear despite the state of emergency in Bulgaria. It became clear at a meeting between Premier Boyko Borissov, this country’s Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Nankov and representatives of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber. The Chief Executive of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber Valentin Nikolov said he was against the idea that certain infrastructure projects should be suspended and the money is redirected to activities aimed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. In his view, the construction sector has the potential to be the engine of economic growth during the post-crisis period. Deputy Minister Nankov supported Valentin Nikolov’s words and reminded that according to official data, some 200,000 people are employed at this sector and their number may potentially increase in line with the volumes of work.

Intense road traffic expected in Bulgaria before the long weekend

Intense road traffic is expected in Bulgaria in the last working day of the week. The Bulgarian Police will check drivers at the checkpoints in Sofia and the other district cities. The law enforcement authorities will collect declarations at the checkpoints containing the reason for travel. Declarations of people who state that they are going to work will be checked thoroughly due to the long weekend (May 1- May 3). Those who declare false information will be subject to sanctions.

Bulgaria’s authorities found all passengers from Bulgaria Air fllight from Amsterdam to Sofia on April 26

Bulgaria’s authorities found in less than 24 hours all passengers of Bulgaria Air flight from Amsterdam to Sofia on April 26, as well as the persons who contacted with them, the National Crisis Headquarters announced. The actions were undertaken after it became clear that three passengers onboard this flight were diagnosed with Covid-19. A total of 95 people were onboard. The taxi driver who took the infected passengers to a village in Haskovo district, Central South Bulgaria, was placed under quarantine.

Compiled by Diana Tsankova and Radio Bulgaria's News Team

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