We shall feel the effect of vaccination once 2 million have been inoculated: Prof. Nikolay Vitanov

“We shall only begin to feel the effect of the coronavirus vaccine once 2 million people have been inoculated,”said mathematician Prof. Nikolay Vitanov in an interview with Nova TV. 
“When we pass the three and a half million mark we shall begin to solve the problems,” he commented. In his words, with the vaccine we shall “crush the virus”, as it affects the element of the mathematical models responsible for suppressing the epidemic. However, it is still too early to be talking about any easing of the restrictive measures, he added. This can only be done once the active cases have dropped below 50,000.

1,739 newly registered Covid-19 cases, 157 deaths in past day

28% of the 6,190 PCR tests performed in the past 24 hours have returned positive, Single Coronavirus Information Portal data show. The highest number of newly registered cases is in Sofia - 281, in Varna – 149 and in Plovdiv – 122. 
2,894 is the number of recoveries, 157 have died over the past 24 hours. 6,535 patients with coronavirus are in hospital, of them 536 in intensive care. 101 medical professionals have contracted coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of medical staff infected up to 8,374.
190,027 have so far been in contact with the coronavirus, 96,622 is the total number of recoveries, the death toll is 6,496.

Covid-19 can cause stroke: Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kalpachki

“Observations show that Covid-19 could be an additional factor for stroke, including with young people,”Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kalpachki, head of the neurology clinic at St. Anna hospital said for bTV. 
In his words neurological problems can appear up to several months after recovery from coronavirus. Assoc. Prof. Kalpachki advises people to watch for any unusual symptoms like headache and vertigo which are signs of disorders of the nervous system.

10-day quarantine for arrivals in Austria from Bulgaria

As of today arrivals in Austria from Bulgaria will be placed under 10-day quarantine. They will also have to fill out a declaration describing where they will spend the quarantine. 
Quarantine may be terminated no earlier than the 5th day of quarantine upon presentation of a negative result of a PCR or antigen test for SARS-CoV-2. Persons travelling for medical or professions reasons are exempt from quarantine if, upon entry, they present a medical certificate confirming a negative result of a PCR or antigen test taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to entering Austria.

Coronavirus outbreak in care home in Radovets village

Thirty-seven cases of coronavirus have been registered at the care home for senior citizens with mental disabilities in the village of Radovets near Topolovgrad, including four members of the staff. The functioning of the home has been reorganized and the patients with Covid-19 have been isolated. 
Meanwhile 26 tests have been performed on staff at the family-type placement centers for children and adolescents with disabilities in Haskovo after seven people tested positive.

MEP hands out face masks in several municipalities

2,500 face masks were handed out to the public in Blagoevgrad, Petrich, Sandanski and Gotse Delchev by MEP Andrey Novakov with the words: “We are handing out masks because people need to wear them and we are doing so on a day when there are more people outdoors, so they can reach them faster”, BNR-Radio Blagoevgrad reports. 
However, the gesture met with protest at the market in Blagoevgrad where Andrey Novakov was given leek banitsa with the comment that people don’t want masks, they want bread.  

Compiled by Diana Tsankova

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