Covid-19 in Bulgaria: 394 active cases among medical personnel, 16 have died

There are 394 active cases of new coronavirus among medical personnel in Bulgaria, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov told a briefing on October 15.

Of these, most are undergoing home treatment, while 66 are in hospital, seven in intensive care.

Sixteen medical personnel have died, while 1300 have recovered from the virus.

Twenty-five medical personnel tested positive in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to date to 1440, according to data posted on October 15 by the national information system.

Angelov called on people not to travel to the districts of Blagoevgrad and Turgovishte unless the trip was really necessary.

“There we have a morbidity of more than 120 people per 100 000, an unnecessary trip there would lead to the spread of the disease in other areas,” he said.

The October 15 national information system report showed 53 new cases in the Blagoevgrad district in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to date to 2529. In the Turgovishte district, the figure rose by 43 in the past day, to a total to date of 385.

Angelov said that the current situation did not necessitate the establishment of separate hospitals solely for the treatment of new coronavirus.

While noting the upward trend cases in recent weeks, he said that the health care system still had sufficient bed capacity at national level.

The occupancy of beds in intensive care wards was six per cent, while in wards for those not in need of intensive care, occupancy was 19 per cent.

Bulgaria’s Chief State Health Inspector Associate Professor Angel Kunchev said that the morbidity rate in Bulgaria put it in 22nd place out of 30 countries in Europe and fifth on the Balkan peninsula. Bulgaria’s death rate was 1.56 per 100 000, which put it in eighth place in the European Union.

Angelov said that because of non-compliance with the anti-epidemic measures in Bulgaria, control by regional health inspectorates, police and other institutions would be stepped up.

In a report on October 14, Bulgarian National Television said that the country’s health system was facing serious problems because of the increased number of people with new coronavirus. The situation in some hospitals in Bulgaria was critical, the report said.

The most worrying situations were in the districts of Shoumen, Blagoevgrad, Bourgas and Turgovishte.

In Bourgas, the infectious diseases ward was at full capacity, while in the other three districts, there were not enough doctors, the report said.

Shoumen regional governor Stefan Zhelev told BNT that the hospital was on the point not only of not being able to accept patients with Covid-19, but also patients with other diseases.

For the rest of The Sofia Globe’s continuing coverage of the Covid-19 situation, please click here.

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