“We are in 25th position in incidence of coronavirus cases in Europe in the past 14 days,” PM Boyko Borissov writes on Facebook. “This gives us the reassurance that the easing of restrictions we are now undertaking is not leading to a higher infection rate and that we are effectively controlling the spread of the epidemic.”

“We are expecting another 240,000 doses of vaccines by the end of February. In March we shall receive 500,000 doses and we shall start the 4th phase of vaccination,” Boyko Borissov writes. 

There have been 163 new cases of coronavirus in this country for the past 24 hours, according to the Single Coronavirus Information Portal. Positive samples are 8.8% out of the 1852 tests performed. Most of the new cases are in Sofia - 54. Followed by the districts of Burgas - 23 and Pleven - 16 new cases. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 229,679 case of coronavirus infection have been registered.

The active cases are 23,135 as 3,425 patients are in hospital. 301 patients are in intensive care. 16 people passed away in the past 24 hours. The death toll from the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic has reached 9,624. A total of 327 patients recovered in the past day. With them the number of recoveries has already reached 196,920.

68 doses of vaccine have been administered in the past 24 hours bringing the total number to 75,388.

Another 42,000 pupils have returned to the classrooms today, Education Minister Krasimir Valchev reported at a working meeting called by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov with representatives of the National Coronavirus Operational Headquarters, the National Vaccination Task Force and cabinet ministers.

At the moment 460,000 children are attending school in-person, 260,000 are studying remotely. Another 240,000 children of pre-school age are attending kindergartens.

PM Borissov stated that in-person schooling was of enormous importance to school children and that the vaccination process was going ahead at full speed. 

“In Bulgaria it hardly feels like there is any pandemic at all. It hardly feels like there is anything that people are forbidden from anything,” Boyko Borissov said as quoted by the BTA.