Third wave of Covid-19 begins in Bulgaria

The number of new cases of Covid-19 has been rising steadily in the past weeks, Bulgaria’s Minister of Health Professor Kostadin Angelov announced at the regular weekly briefing today. We are now witnessing the beginning of the third wave of Covid-19, contends Minister Angelov. Although anti-epidemic measures in Bulgaria are less stringent, the morbidity and mortality rates in this country are comparable to those in Europe.

The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus has exceeded the number of Covid-19 recoveries, Minister Angelov went on to say. Bulgaria has registered 143 cases per 100,000 people since the beginning of this week. In other words, morbidity has increased by 32% as compared to the previous week. Meanwhile, mortality increased by 4% and the number of patients admitted to hospital saw 15% increase.

Twelve Bulgarian districts are classified as Covid-19 red zones with more than 120 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people.

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School children to be tested for Covid-19

The Ministers of Health and of Education Prof. Kostadin Angelov and Krasimir Valchev discussed, with representatives of parent organizations, plans to test children using antigen tests.

The aim of the testing is to take a “snapshot” of the spread of coronavirus at schools after in-person schooling was partially restored. This will guarantee the environment is as safe as possible so in-person education may continue, the Ministry of Education said after the meeting.

The testing will be of pupils from the 1st to the 12th grade, it will be voluntary and with parental consent. There will be no testing at kindergartens. PCR tests will be appointed after the antigen tests only by authorization of a medical practitioner.

913 new Covid-19 cases reported out of 10,164 tests performed

913 is the number of new Covid-19 registered in Bulgaria over the past 24 hours out of 10,164 tests performed. The highest number of newly registered cases is in Sofia - 260, followed by Plovdiv with 94 cases, indicate data of the Single Coronavirus Information Portal.

22,236 is the number of active cases, 3,230 coronavirus patients are being treated in hospital, of them 273 are in intensive care. 697 have recovered over the past 24 hours and 45 have died.

66,163 people have so far been vaccinated, of them 3,735 in the past 24 hours.

Members of election commissions will be able to get vaccinated

Members of election commissions wishing to get vaccinated will be inoculated against Covid-19  until March 5 at the latest. They will be able to get their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine until April 4 and achieve immunity before the Parliamentary elections, announced Bulgaria’s Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov.

EC forecasts slow recovery of Bulgarian economy in 2021

Bulgaria's economy is expected to grow this year by 2.7% of GDP after a decline of 4.9% of GDP in the first year of the pandemic, while in 2022 the pace will reach 4.9% of GDP, which is one of the highest in the EU.

However, the Bulgarian tourism sector must accept that the summer season would be a repeating of that of 2020.

This is the forecast of the European Commission, published today in Brussels and quoted by dnevnik.bg. The forecast is accompanied by a warning that expectations might not be met because of risks related to the development of the disease and delayed supply of vaccines.

Compiled by Diana Tsankova and RB's News Team

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