Bulgarian Medical Association: Measures against Covid-19 should not be eased before the holidays
The Bulgarian Medical Association (BMA) believes that the measures to prevent the spread of new coronavirus should not be eased before the holidays, association head Dr Ivan Madzharov said on December 15.
The heightened measures are scheduled to expire on December 21. Bulgarian Prime Minister Borissov has asked health authorities for a report by December 17 so that a decision may be made about what will happen on December 21. Health Minister Kostadin Angelov has said that he is insisting that the measures should be extended.
Madzharov told a news conference that easing the measures would present a risk to Bulgaria’s health care system after the holidays.
“Preliminary forecasts of how long and how many people are infected are inappropriate in the situation, because the year has shown that they are invalid,” he said, not committing to a specific proposal on when the measures should be lifted or at least extended.
Speaking at the same news conference, the head of Bulgaria’s National Health Insurance Fund, Professor Petko Salchev, said that the restrictive measures should be extended at least one week after the New Year.
Salchev pointed to the fact that the first seven days of January include three “name days”, on which many Bulgarians celebrate the feast days of the saints after whom they are named.
He expressed concern that this would mean gatherings of lots of people and thus a risk of spreading of the infection.
Angelov did not immediately comment on the idea, but promised that the decisions about easing the measures would be made on the basis of reason, not emotion, as well as by listening entirely to the opinion of the experts.
(Photo: Iwan Beijes)
The Sofia Globe’s coverage of the Covid-19 situation in Bulgaria is supported by the Embassies of Switzerland and Finland.
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:
