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Covid-19 in Bulgaria: Day 247

Photo: EPA/BGNES

Government approves new instruments to tackle pandemic

We use the full potential of the health system against the coronavirus. We provided another € 41.4 million for additional measures against Covid-19. There is already a unified medical protocol of action. We have included GPs, but the most important thing is for people to continue to protect themselves, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said during the government's online session and pointed out that funds have been provided. The Prime Minister has called on the Minister of Health to create an opportunity for blood plasma donation by ex-Covid-19 patients not only in Sofia, but also in the rest of the country, because this is a way to help new patients.

Additional medical measures against pandemic

Until the end of the year, GPs and clinics will participate in the examinations and diagnostics of those infected with Covid-19. In the polyclinics in Sofia and in the big cities, Covid zones will be opened, where a doctor, a nurse and a laboratory assistant will make diagnostics through examinations, tests and X-rays. The BGN 81 million provided by the government today are to pay for these activities. The Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov motivates the need for reorganization of the pre-hospital care with the fact that for the past two weeks the patients with coronavirus infection in our country are over 300 out of 100,000 people.

Number of recovered Covid-19 patients grows

675 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 2,151 PCR tests performed, data of the Single Information Portal show. 31% of all PCR tests have returned positive. 603 people have recovered and 33 have died in the past 24 hours.

Bulgaria not planning new containment measures against Covid-19

We are not planning to introduce more stringent measures on a national level to contain the spread of coronavirus, Bulgaria’s Minister of Labor and Social Policy Denitsa Sacheva has told bTV. However, we are ready to take decisions according to the epidemiological situation, Minister Sacheva added. A new measure totalling EUR 20 million is being prepared for businesses such as restaurants, educational and training centers, sports halls and gyms which would be affected by orders issued by this country’s minister of health, town mayors or district governors. We will be able to pay 80% of the minimum salary of these employees. We are ready to help 50,000 people, Minister Sacheva pointed out.

53.6% of Bulgarians approve cabinet’s actions against Covid-19 pandemic

Over half of the adult Bulgarians are strictly complying with anti-epidemic measures. 37% of respondents say they take these measures into consideration, a national survey conducted in November shows. 11% of respondents admit that they are not observing the anti-epidemic measures, or have not decided. One out of ten opposes the restrictions. Just over one-third of respondents say they support more stringent measures. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents say that new anti-epidemic measures are not necessary. More than half of the respondents admit that they run out of savings during the crisis and 40% of the respondents expect that the situation may worsen to an extent where they will not be able to make a living. 40% do not approve the actions of the government during the Covid-19 crisis, while 53% of the respondents approve the cabinet’s measures.

Protest held in Sofia against chaos in Bulgaria's healthcare system

Today, a protest with stretched hospital beds was held in front of the Council of Ministers in downtown Sofia. It was initiated by the organizers of the anti-government protests in Bulgaria which lasted for four months from the so-called Poison Trio. In this way, they tried to portray the chaos existing in the country's healthcare system amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The leader of the "Izpravi se. BG" platform and former ombudsman Maya Manolova also joined the protest held under the motto "Hospital beds alone cannot heal patients". She insisted on providing free PCR tests for anyone who needs them, as citizens currently need to pay a little over 50 euros per test. Surprisingly, counter-protesters joined the action, extending criticism to Manolova for being in the government and having had the opportunity to improve the health system, BNR reports.

Military join fight against Covid-19 by donating blood plasma

An organization for donation of blood plasma at the Military Medical Academy in Sofia for the treatment of severe cases of Covid-19 has been established following an order issued today by Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov. This was announced by the press centre of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense. The condition for this is that the donors have recovered from Covid-19 and have a negative PCR test, BNR reports. Every year more than 3,000 Bulgarian military officers donate blood, saving lives.

Bulgaria reports growth in number of work permits for foreigners despite pandemic

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Bulgaria's Employment Agency reports an increase in the number of work permits issued to foreigners in Bulgaria for the first 10 months of 2020. This is mainly due to the commitments made by Bulgaria in connection with the implementation of major infrastructure projects such as Balkan Stream. At the same time, the demand for third-country nationals in seasonal employment for up to three months has sharply decreased, BNR reports.


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

You can also follow all latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak and all measures in Bulgaria in 9 more languages at Radio Bulgaria.

Compiled by: D. Grigorova




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