330 newly registered Covid-19 cases in Bulgaria, or 5.34% out of 6,183 PCR tests performed

330 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours out of 6,183 PCR tests performed. 5.34% of all PCR tests performed in the past 24 hours are positive for the novel coronavirus, data of the Single Coronavirus Information Portal show. The total number of Covid-19 cases rose to 9,584. There are 4,620 active cases of coronavirus infection. 505 medics have so far tested positive for Covid-19. The biggest number of newly confirmed cases is in Sofia-75, in Varna- 59, in Blagoevgrad- 35 and in Plovdiv- 30. 122 patients have recovered from the virus and 8 people died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. 24 patients are in intensive care units.

Lack of quarantine hotels is what closed Bulgaria’s resorts to foreigners

This was stated by Rumen Draganov, head of the Institute for Analyses and Assessments in Tourism in an interview for the BNR. He added that in terms of volume of revenues and employment in tourism there will be no change during the summer months in comparison with last year because “there are Bulgarians everywhere. As to foreign tourists we failed to do the most important thing – create quarantine hotels, we didn’t do any of the things that Greece did. That is what closed Bulgaria’s airports and resorts to foreigners.”

Covid-19is no obstacle to blood donation

In the coronavirus crisis blood donation should be a conscious decision. The application “Donate blood” of the Bulgarian Organization of Voluntary Blood Donation, which has been functioning since the beginning of the month, is very useful in this respect, said Stefka Popova, chairperson of the organization in an interview for the BNR. The application guarantees safety and puts an end to the commercial supply and demand for blood. 
“It is very important to have more blood donors across the entire country because there is daily need of blood. The update of the “Donate blood” application because of Covid-19 is received very well by the people who can now get in touch with us at any time and be consulted whether they can give blood or not. We also explain to them very clearly that coronavirus is not transmitted through blood and that all necessary measures have been taken at blood establishments. So that blood donors do not need to worry,” Stefka Popova said.  

Constitutional Court rejects President Radev’s request to rule Health Act amendments unconstitutional

The Constitutional Court has rejected President Rumen Radev’s request to find the amendments to the Health Act connected with the emergency epidemic situation unconstitutional,the Constitutional Court writes on its website. 
The emergency epidemic situation was introduced in place of the state of emergency over coronavirus in the country, which ended on 13 May. President Radev challenged the right of the Council of Ministers to declare, via the amendments, an emergency epidemic situation, the formal criteria of assessment of the danger to the life and health of the public, and the disproportionate restriction of their rights, such as right of movement and work.

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova and Radio Bulgaria’s News team