Higher mortality rate from Covid-19 outside big cities in Bulgaria

There are big differences in the way the different regions in the country are coping with the pandemic. In big cities and cities with university hospitals, it is obvious that people get much better help, Tihomir Bezlov from the Centre for the Study of Democracy said in an interview with BNT. 
Since the beginning of the pandemic in Bulgaria up until December 16, the highest number of fatalities has been registered in Smolyan district - 160.3 per 100,000 people. The lowest mortality rate has been recorded in Sofia - 51.9 per 100,000. 
The better access to medical care and the higher rate of testing in large cities are among the reasons for the lower mortality there, Bezlov explained.

Parliament approves purchase of vaccines against Covid-19

The National Assembly has approved the Agreement on assistance and resale between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Sweden and Janssen Pharmaceutica NV for the purchase and supply of a Covid-19 vaccine for Bulgaria. The vaccine will be delivered via Sweden due to Bulgaria's initial refusal to purchase it.The MPs also approved the decision of the Council of Ministers to purchase the CureVac and Moderna vaccines.

First vaccines expected to arrive in Bulgaria on December 25

The first vaccines against Covid-19 are expected to arrive in Bulgaria on December 25. Special teams of the National Vaccination Task Force have been set up for this purpose, Bulgaria's Chief Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev said in an interview with Nova TV. 
The first shipment will contain 5,000 doses. The second shipment is expected in the first days of 2021. Bigger quantities will begin to arrive in February. 
It is not clear who the first person in Bulgaria who will get vaccinated will be, but the name of the person will be announced after a decision has been taken, Kunchev said.

Communication strategy about Covid-19 vaccination being prepared

We shall explain to the public that vaccination is the way to safety, the way to normal human relations, Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov said, answering a question in parliament. He added that a lot of effort was being put into building a communication strategy based on transparency, reliability and accessibility to data on vaccines and their forthcoming use. 
The brief characteristics of the vaccines are not yet clear, but the authorities will urge manufacturers to provide answers to all questions people have, without withholding information. Minister Angelov added that health authorities will make every effort for a successful national vaccination.

Plovdiv cancels all cultural and entertainment events until 1 January

By a decision of the municipal crisis headquarters in Plovdiv all cultural and entertainment events in the city are being cancelled until 1 January, including  the traditional Christmas and New Year’s programmes in Stefan Stambolov square, BNR’s correspondent in the city Kremena Daneva reports. Organizers of Christmas bazaars are advised to sell their produce at two of the municipal markets which meet the anti-epidemic requirements – Chetvurtuk  (Thursday) market and the market next to the rowing canal. The Christmas bazaars in Kapana neigbourhood and on Main Street have been cancelled.

Bulgaria reports 2,042 new cases of Covid-19 in past 24 hours

2,042 is the number of the new cases of Covid-19, registered in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours. This is 29.92% of the 6,825 PCR tests performed. The highest number of positive cases is in Sofia - 361, followed by Varna - 207, and Burgas – 202, the data of the National Coronavirus Information Portal at midnight show. 
143 people have died in the past day. 6,900 patients with coronavirus are currently in hospital, of whom 567 are in intensive care units. A total of 3,218 people have recovered. The active cases of coronavirus infection in Bulgaria are currently 88,221. 
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Covid-19 has been confirmed among 8,273 members of the medical staff, of whom 95 have been registered in the last 24 hours.

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova

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