Bulgaria to recognize coronavirus tests approved by the European Union

Bulgaria is to recognize rapid coronavirus tests produced by 16 companies, this country’s Chief State Health Inspector Associate Professor Angel Kunchev has told bTV. "The EU has prepared the list of the rapid tests’ manufacturers, because we have encountered inaccurate Covid-19 tests", Angel Kunchev said. Foreign tourists will be able to visit Bulgaria, if they present a negative rapid Covid-19 test, a negative PCR or a vaccination certificate. Moreover, tourism workers will most likely receive Covid-19 vaccines by the end of May. Thus, Bulgaria would become a safe destination for travel and tourism, Associate Professor Angel Kunchev added. It is unlikely that the Indian coronavirus variant has reached Bulgaria.

Rules for entry into Bulgaria will be competitive with those in neighbouring countries

At a meeting held today between outgoing PM Boyko Borissov and ministers from his cabinet and representatives of the tourism industry, it was announced that at its meeting tomorrow the government would make a decision to extend the epidemic situation. The outgoing Minister of Health will also issue an order regarding the entry of foreign tourists into the country valid from May 1. Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Mariyana Nikolova said that Bulgaria was ready for the launch of the summer tourist season and that it would take place in compliance with all protocols. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it was ready to start issuing tourist visas as soon as the health minister issued an order for this. According to outgoing Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov, the rules of entry into Bulgaria as of May 1 would be competitive to the rules in place in neighbouring countries. Vaccination of the people employed in the tourism sector will satrt on May 1. The representatives of the tourism industry have called for a powerful advertising campaign for the country and effective measures in support of tourism. Once again this season almost 70% of the hotels in the biggest seaside resort Sunny Beach are not going to open, said Georgi Nedelchev, chairman of the hotel owners association-Sunny Beach.

Bulgaria reports 1,759 new cases of Covid-19 out of 14,023 tests

1,759 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 14,023 tests performed. 12.54% of the tests have returned positive result, indicate data of the Single Coronavirus Information Portal. The highest number of new infections were reported in Sofia-338, followed by Plovdiv-174, Varna-136 and Stara Zagora-120. There are 54,115 active cases of Covid-19 at present. 7,669 patients are being treated in hospital, 724 of them in intensive care units. 194 people have died and 4,100 have recovered in the past 24 hours. 10,910 Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of inoculations against the novel coronavirus to more than 734,150. 169,868 people have received their second vaccine dose.

Restrictions will be lifted when we reach vaccination level of 70-75%, Angel Kunchev says

“The amounts of vaccine Bulgaria is going to receive in May will be double the amounts received in April, and quadruple in June. This will solve the problem of quantities and the country will have to address the other problem – people’s unwillingness to get vaccinated,” Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev said, BGNES reports. At a press conference dedicated to European Immunization Week, Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev stated that the ultimate objective in the fight against Covid-19 was to reach a vaccination level of 70-75% percent of the population, and that is what Bulgaria is aiming at. When that happens “we shall throw away the masks, the restrictions will be lifted and we shall go back to a normal way of life,” Angel Kunchev added.

Compiled by: Vessela Krasteva

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