Coronavirus: ‘Mass testing’ to start in Bulgaria’s Bansko resort on April 12
Testing of a large number of residents of Bulgaria’s mountain resort of Bansko for new coronavirus is to begin on April 12, the municipality said in a post on its Facebook page.
The aim of the large-scale testing is to establish whether collective immunity has been established. Bansko was in 14-day quarantine from March 17 after several cases of Covid-19 were confirmed that were linked to the resort town.
Given the combined total of rapid blood test kits, from donations and those that are to arrive from Bulgaria’s national operational headquarters, a larger number of people will be tested than the originally-planned figure of 1000.
The procedures will be performed, starting at 10.30am on Sunday, at the Sveto Blagoveshtenie Medical Centre by medical specialists in accordance with the procedure established by the municipal crisis staff, the municipality said.
The testing will be carried out on a number of residents of the town of Bansko, as well as residents of the town of Dobrinishte and villages in Bansko municipality.
Bulgarian National Radio reported on April 11 that in line with instructions by the regional health inspectorate, lists of people to be included in the large-scale testing have been drawn up.
Police will be tested first, before they go on duty ensuring that order is kept during the time of the Orthodox Easter.
Bansko mayor Ivan Kalev said that to avoid crowding “we will endeavour to carry out this task in the safest way possible and I expect understanding from the residents”.
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(Photo: Lance Nelson of banskoblog.com)
