Rapid antigen tests equated with PCR tests

By order of Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov, rapid antigen tests are being added as a laboratory criterion in diagnosing Covid-19. Persons with positive antigen tests shall be registered as Covid-19 cases and included in the data of the Single Coronavirus Information Portal. They shall be subject to 14-day quarantine, and their close contacts – to 10-day quarantine, as with cases confirmed by PCR tests. Rapid antigen tests shall be applied with regard to patients within 5 days after the beginning of clinical symptoms, and with regard to contacts – within 7 days of their last contact with the person infected.  In the event of clinical symptoms of coronavirus and a negative result, a PCR test shall be applied, failing this, another antigen test shall be performed 2 to 4 days later.

Inoculation against Covid-19 in Bulgaria to begin on December 27

Vaccination against Covid-19 in Bulgaria is expected to begin on December 27, this country’s Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov announced. Inoculation will start simultaneously in three big cities. Minister Angelov said he was ready to be the first in Bulgaria to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. 
Today, Minister Kostadin Angelov handed over to the centers for emergency medical care in Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sliven and Stara Zagora 20 new fully equipped ambulances purchased under a European program.

1,277 new Covid-19 cases and 2908 recoveries in past 24 hours

1,277 is the number of new cases of coronavirus infection in this country over the past 24 hours, which means more than 29% of the 4,304 PCR tests performed have returned positive, according to official data. 59 of the new patients are medical staff. 
The total number of people infected with coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic has reached 192,472. The active cases are 83,041. A total of 6,287 coronavirus patients are in hospital as 523 are in intensive care wards. 156 people with coronavirus have died in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll up to 6,765. The number of recoveries in the past 24 hours is 2,908, bringing the total number of recoveries since the start of the pandemic to 102,666.

1,300 Policemen diagnosed with Covid-19, 132 of them are in hospitals

Bulgarian courts have issued over 650 sentences to citizens who violated the mandatory quarantine and presented false declarations when leaving the towns during the spring lockdown when checkpoints were installed at the entrances and exits of the big district cities, Bulgaria’s Minister of Interior Hristo Terziiski told journalists. 
1,300 Bulgarian police officers are currently infected with the coronavirus, of whom 132 are in hospital, Minister Terziiski pointed out.

Bulgaria to provide vaccines to North Macedonian citizens

Bulgaria is to explore the possibilities for providing vaccines against Covid-19 for the countries of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership. This will таке place after the needs of Bulgaria are met, and under the terms of the agreements with the European Commission, the government decided. "We are doing this for the sake of the life and health of our closest neighbors," Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said. 
Health Minister of North Macedonia Venko Filipče took part in the government meeting and expressed gratitude for the decision. Together with his Bulgarian counterpart Kostadin Angelov, the ministers signed a Letter of Intent for providing vaccines against COVID-19 to North Macedonia, BTA reported.

Broader scope of arrivals from UK without ban on entering Bulgaria

By order of the Minister of Health of December 22, the scope of persons arriving from Great Britain and Northern Ireland who can enter Bulgaria has been expanded.These are:

Medical specialists and scientists, social workers, when the purpose of the trip is connected with their profession;
Workers involved in the supply of medicinal products, medical devices and personal protective equipment, including their installation and maintenance;
Transport staff engaged in the international transportation of passengers and goods;
State officials as well as members of their families;
Persons traveling for humanitarian reasons;
Representatives of trade, economic and investment activities, certified by a letter from the Minister of Economy or another cabinet minister;
Seasonal farm workers and people employed in tourism;
Transit passengers when it can be guaranteed they will leave the territory of Bulgaria immediately.
All arrivals in Bulgaria whose point of departure is the UK shall be quarantined for 10 days. State officials and members of their delegations shall be exempt from mandatory quarantine provided they present a negative PCR test performed no earlier than 48 hours prior to departure, as well as lorry drivers, transit passengers and crews which not leaving their airplanes or ships.

42% of enterprises register drop in revenues in November: National Statistical Institute

Almost 42% of enterprises have registered a drop in revenues from the sale of goods and services in November compared to October, indicates a National Statistical Institute survey connected with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy.
46% of the enterprises which took part in the survey declare that they have experienced no change in revenues, and 11.8% say they have even had an increase. Only 9.8% of the respondents state that they have availed themselves of the government measures in support of employers.
Reporting by Marta Mladenova, Horizont channel, BNR.

It is up to scientists to decide whether it is safe to hold elections: Vice President Yotova

“The President is not going to set up any political projects, something he is being pushed to do,” said Vice President Iliana Yotova for Nova TV. “Voters in Bulgaria and their political representatives want parliamentary elections to take place. But the unknowns are too many to fix the best date for elections. It is up to the people from the academic circles to have their say whether holding elections amidst the pandemic is safe,” Vice President Yotova said, and added that she has reservations regarding the practice of politicians getting the vaccine first. “The first shipments should be for the people who need it most but there has been no awareness campaign in the country regarding the vaccines,” she added.

Compiled by Yoan Kolev

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