Bulgaria in third place in EU-EEA in Covid-19 mortality
Bulgaria is in third place in the European Union-European Economic Area in Covid-19 mortality and in 13th place in morbidity, on the basis of 14-day statistics, Chief State Health Inspector Associate Professor Angel Kunchev told the Health Ministry’s weekly briefing on November 19.
The briefing was held against a background of the latest daily report by the national information system, as reported by The Sofia Globe, showing that the Covid-19 death toll in Bulgaria had reached 2530, while there were 75 526 active cases.
The Covid-19 infection rate in Bulgaria is currently 658 per 100 000 population.
The death toll among medical personnel in Bulgaria has reached 31.
Health Minister Kostadin Angelov told the briefing: “The situation in the whole country is complicated, the measures do not receive the necessary understanding and support from the citizens. The opinion that there is no such virus continue to spread”.
“There is an opinion that with these restrictions we affect people’s freedoms,” Angelov said.
“We all need to understand that the measures are mandatory and important. If we deprive ourselves of some rights and freedoms now, we will have them back in their entirety as soon as possible,” he said.
Kunchev called on the public to realise the gravity of the situation and to observe the existing measures. Otherwise, it would be necessary to move to stricter measures, he said.
Angelov said that the greatest pressure on the health care system is in the districts of Blagoevgrad, Bourgas, Varna, Gabrovo, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Rousse, Turgovishte and Shoumen.
Of the intensive care beds, the highest percentage of bed occupancy is in Pleven and Razgrad, Angelov said. Across Bulgaria, 25 per cent of intensive care beds for Covid-19 patients are occupied.
He said that new changes to the “green corridor” system of access to supermarkets and pharmacies according to the age groups of customers were being considered. Angelov complained about the controversy about the system, which he said had been arrived at after consulting representatives of, among others, senior citizens and supermarket chains.
The Sofia Globe’s coverage of the Covid-19 situation in Bulgaria is supported by the Embassies of Switzerland and Finland.
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