EMA: Bulgaria should not rush lifting Covid-19 containment measures

Bulgaria should not rush lifting the restrictive measures introduced against the spread of Covid-19, this country’s representative at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Ilko Getov said in an interview for BTV. Professor Getov pointed out that in order to maintain the current positive trend in terms of the coronavirus morbidity rate, Bulgaria should continue complying with the introduced restrictions until the end of February, when front-line workers and more elderly people would be inoculated against Covid-19.

29th Bulgarian expedition to Antarctica postponed again

The 29th Bulgarian expedition to Antarctica has been postponed a day before the planned departure of the polar explorers because of cases of coronavirus on the Spanish ship Hesperides that the polar explorers were to board, expedition leader Hristo Pimpirev has told Radio Bulgaria. It was planned that six scientists would leave for Chile, where they would remain in quarantine for two weeks before heading to the base on the Livingston Island. This is the second postponement of the expedition - it was supposed to leave in November, but members of the Chilean base in Antarctica tested positive for Covid-19 and anti-epidemic measures were imposed.

Number of newly infected is falling

105 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 1,629 PCR and rapid antigen tests performed. 6.45% of the tests have returned positive. The highest number of coronavirus infections was registered in Sofia-30, followed by Varna-14, show data of the Single Coronavirus Information Portal updated at midnight. 695 people have recovered and 29 patients have died in the past 24 hours. 4,025 patients are in hospitals, including 380 in intensive care units. There are 65,126 active cases of coronavirus infection at present. 13,473 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Bulgaria.

Only 1/5 of teachers in Bulgaria want to be vaccinated against Covid-19

The Bulgarians state will pay BGN 10 (EUR 5) for each dose of the two-dose vaccine against Covid-19 that will be used. The money will be paid to GPs in the Diagnostic and Consulting Centres, doctors in hospitals, in the special mobile vaccination centres, and in the Regional Health Inspectorates. The funds will be provided from the state budget, and the payment will be made after the entry of the vaccination in an electronic register. This became clear from today's working meeting of Bulgaria's Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov, BTA reported. At the same meeting, it became clear that out of 90,000 teachers and teaching staff in the country, only 21% of teachers have so far expressed a desire to be vaccinated in the second phase of the vaccination campaign.

New vaccine information module

The Ministry of Health has set up a specialized section on vaccines against coronavirus infection in the Single Coronavirus Information Portal, the government's press office has reported. The module will provide information to health professionals and citizens about the various vaccines available against Covid-19.

Compiled by: Diana Tsankova

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