Bulgaria’s PM pledges measures against Covid-19 will not be strengthened
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov dismissed on September 25 as “fake news” rumours circulating online that intercity travel restrictions would be reintroduced along with other stricter measures against Covid-19.
At a meeting between Borissov and Bulgaria’s national operational headquarters against Covid-19, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said that Bulgaria was in 26th place in Europe in terms of morbidity of people from Covid-19, the country was successfully keeping the spread of the epidemic under control, and over-burdening of the health system was not being allowed.
Bulgaria had personal protective equipment (PPE) and medicines in stock for at least six months, Angelov said.
He said that Bulgaria, together with three other countries, is the only one in Europe with a negative trend of minus 6.5 per cent in terms of newly-registered cases in the past two weeks. Over the same period, the average trend in Europe had been an increase of 22 per cent.
“The readiness of our health care system continues to be at a high level,” Angelov said.
Borissov told the meeting that in Bulgaria, the implementation of measures to deal with the coronavirus was being very well managed.
“So, at the moment, absolutely nothing requires different measures from the ones we have,” he said.
Denying
rumours about closures of cities and other new restrictions, Borissov
said that countries with stricter measures than those in Bulgaria
currently have much worse indicators than those in
Bulgaria.
Borissov ordered the resumption of holding weekly
news conferences on the epidemic situation in Bulgaria, in view of
the beginning of seasonal flu and viral infections.
“In
the first place, our health is important, in the second place – to
keep the economy working,” Borissov said.
He said that thanks to the 60:40 and 80:20 measures, nearly 300 000 jobs have been saved.
Borissov
expressed special gratitude to all doctors, nurses, laboratory
technicians and paramedics for their round-the-clock care during the
pandemic.
At the meeting, Finance Minister Kiril Ananiev said
that the draft Budget for 2021 provides funds for the vaccines
requested by the European Commission, as well as funds for the
provision of PPE and disinfectants.
The payment of 1000 leva support each to the people in the frontline against news coronavirus is also guaranteed. The scope of the medical and non-medical staff entitled to the support will be expanded, he said.
Operational HQ chief Major-General Ventsislav Mutafchiyski said that the situation in the Armed Forces was also under full control. The measures against military cadets being infected with the disease were being implemented and their tuition was continuing normally.
The head of the Sofia regional health inspectorate, Dr Dancho Penchev said that the situation in Bulgaria’s capital city regarding the new coronavirus was calm and regional health inspectorates were ready to provide PPE on request.
(Archive photo: government.bg)
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