Bulgaria expects shipment of new vaccines on Monday
Tomorrow, March 8, Bulgaria expects the arrival of another 21,060 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19. The new amounts of the vaccine will be distributed around the country from the logistics centre in Sofia.

Bulgaria reports 1,426 new cases of Covid-19 in one day
Bulgaria has reported 1,426 new cases of Covid-19 for the past 24 hours, with 10,473 tests performed. 13.6% of the samples returned positive, according to the National Coronavirus Information Portal. The highest number of infections is registered in Sofia - 406, followed by Burgas - 127 and Varna - 112.

There are currently 5,629 patients in hospitals, as 452 are in intensive care units. 

In the past day, 584 patients were discharged from hospital and 22 people died.

A total of 2,654 people received a vaccination jab, thus bringing the total number of vaccinated persons to 287,000.

Bulgarian health authorities work on vaccination certificate
All vaccine deliveries are planned to provide revaccination for all persons who received the first dose of the vaccines, said Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Health Zheni Nacheva in an interview for BNR. She clarified that regardless of the vaccine, the electronic system for registration for vaccination works according to the same algorithm. 

We are working hard on the so-called vaccination certificate, Zheni Naceva explained , adding that the issue has a political, legal, medical and ethical dimension. 

According to her, the position of the Bulgarian Ministry of Health is that the final decision on the certificate should not discriminate against people who do not want to get vaccinated. 

It is expected that on March 17 the European Commission proposal for the so-called "green passports" will be discussed by Bulgarian institutions and experts.

Pros and cons of stopping planned admissions and operations in hospitals
As of Monday, March 8, the Pirogov Emergency Hospital in Sofia will suspend scheduled admissions and scheduled surgical operations. Visits are also banned, the health institution announced on Friday. The ban is aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19. Only one companion is allowed for seriously ill patients passing through the emergency rooms.

In an interview with BNR-Horizont, immunologist Prof. Dobroslav Kyurkchiev strongly disagreed with the suspension of scheduled hospital admissions, as there are many other diseases that cannot be ignored. According to the head of the laboratory for clinical trials at St. Ivan Rilski University Hospital, all three vaccines, approved and administered in Bulgaria, are very effective in terms of the main thing - to prevent complications and a severe course of the disease. The virus will become weaker in the summer, the immunologist believes.

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