Mayor Fandukova: More than 13 000 people in Sofia in quarantine
Bulgaria’s capital Sofia is currently the city most affected by Covid-19, with 60 per cent of the country’s confirmed cases and 13 621 people in quarantine, mayor Yordanka Fandukova told a special online meeting of the city council on April 16.
Fandukova said that the municipality’s first task had been to assist the national operational headquarters against Covid-19 and the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Health by providing additional resources from coronavirus treatment units – beds, doctors and medical staff to care for the ill.
A total of 982 beds had been prepared in Sofia for the treatment of patients with uncomplicated conditions and 371 for patients in need of intensive care.
Coronavirus treatment wards had been organised in all municipal multi-profile hospitals.
All municipal hospitals are provided with the required numbers of protective clothing, protective masks, and disinfectants.
Fandukova said that at her request, a logistics centre had been set up in Sofia and currently had more than 1600 items of protective clothing, more than 5000 protective masks and 6000 pairs of gloves.
“These are supplies that we target, as needed, to hospitals and teams that work on the ground – carrying out disinfection activities, delivering food at home and working directly with the public. This is a resource that we constantly maintain and co-ordinate,” she said.
The necessary quantities of disinfectants had been provided, to disinfect at least twice daily urban transport, subway platforms, urban transport stops, pedestrian subways, areas around hospitals and hospitals, waste containers, streets and boulevards.
“We also take care of disinfection around the homes of people who are quarantined or undergoing home treatment.”
This was a large-scale organisation that involved all the resources of the municipality, transport operators, hospital and regional health inspectorate teams, social homes, district administrations and cleaning companies.
In one month, more than 1600 hectares of streets, pavements around hospitals, churches and post offices were disinfected. Streets and boulevards were being washed with disinfectants and there was daily disinfection of refuse containers.
Food was being provided to more than 3000 people in the municipality, with the number increasing each week. The hot lunch is delivered to low-income and very low-income people.
Also organised was an initiative to do shopping for senior citizens so that they do not need to go out.
In just a few weeks, more than 280 people had signed up for volunteer work at Sofia municipality.
The municipality has organised the testing of 792 frontline doctors and other medical staff. Four had tested positive and six suspected cases were being followed up with PCR testing.
In March, two Sofia motor transport drivers had tested positive. The employees were in good condition.
Fandukova said that she had asked Health Minister Kiril Ananiev and operational HQ chief Major-General Ventsislav Mutafchiyski for Sofia city transport drivers to be included in the upcoming national testing.
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