Covid-19 in Bulgaria: Medics are exhausted, Health Minister warns
The biggest problem in Bulgaria’s Covid-19 situation is the medics on the front line as “most of them are infected, ill, some are in intensive care,” Health Minister Kostadin Angelov told a weekly briefing on October 22.
Angelov said that his ministry would hold a conference call with the heads of medical universities to discuss the possibility of sixth-year medical students assisting doctors, with official recognition of this service.
Bulgaria was entering a very serious phase of the Covid-19 epidemic, he said, speaking against a background of the national information system’s October 22 daily report that showed that in the past day, a total of 1472 new cases had been confirmed, 14 689 were active and the death toll had risen by 29 to a total of 1048.
Angelov said that it was notable that the death toll included people who had died at a younger age.
The five districts with the most newly-infected in the past 24 hours are the city of Sofia, 425, Plovdiv 208, Blagoevgrad 197, Bourgas 97 and Shoumen 82.
Chief State Health Inspector Associate Professor Angel Kunchev said that Bulgaria ranks 22nd in terms of morbidity and ninth in terms of mortality in the European Union, while it was fourth place in terms of morbidity and mortality on the Balkan peninsula.
Bulgaria’s Health Ministry has published the order that makes wearing protective masks while outdoors mandatory for everyone starting on October 22.
The measures listed in the order will apply until November 30, which is the current end date of the epidemic situation declared by the country’s Cabinet.
The Sofia Globe’s coverage of the Covid-19 situation in Bulgaria is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland.
For the rest of The Sofia Globe’s continuing coverage of the Covid-19 situation, please click here.
The Sofia Globe is an independent media outlet, free of ties to any corporate or political groups. For as little as three euro a month or the equivalent in other currencies, you can support The Sofia Globe via patreon.com and get access to exclusive subscriber-only content. Please click on the “Become a patron” button below:
