60/40 measure stimulates unemployment

This opinion was expressed by Tsvetan Simeonov, president of the biggest employer organization in the country – the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). The government’s 60/40 and 80/20 measures in support of businesses should not continue to be applied in the form they are now implemented, Tsvetan Simoenov and his colleagues say, as it is unacceptable for people who are working to receive 100% of their salaries, and for people who are not working, to also receive 100% of their salaries. The compensations for those who are unable to work because of the current situation should be reduced, so they may be stimulated to look for work, the employers say, and add that unless entrepreneurs are stimulated to return to their normal work, in spite of the difficult situation, unemployment in the country will continue to grow. They predict a shrinkage of the Bulgarian economy by around 7%, and a rise in unemployment of 10% and over. Bulgaria is the country of Southeastern Europe which spends the most, and this is slowing its economic recovery.

Germany declares Varna, Blagoevgrad and Dobrich high-risk coronavirus regions

The Bulgarian embassy in Berlin has been informed by the foreign ministry of Germany that, as part of the coronavirus prevention effort, measures are being prepared regarding entry into Germany by arrivals from three regions of Bulgaria – Varna, Blagoevgrad and Dobrich.

They will be declared high-risk regions, and as of Saturday, 8 August, all arrivals from these regions will be subject to mandatory testing. Until the test result is ready they will be subject to mandatory 14-day quarantine. If the test returns positive, the quarantine will be lifted, the ministry of foreign affairs announces, as quoted by BNR’s Horizont channel.

Number of job offers down by 40%

The comparison is between July 2020 and July 2019, indicate data from the most popular job platform in Bulgaria, as quoted by the BNR’s reporter Natalia Ganchovska.

The number of job offers has shrunk by 9% in the past month alone. Analysis shows that the number of job offers published by leading job websites in Bulgaria has gone down by 20% since the start of the pandemic.

A drop has been registered in all principal sectors of the economy in July, but it is highest in the hotel and restaurant business – by more than 20%, followed by health and pharmacy – 19%, construction and the administrative sphere – 11%.

70% of all job offers published are concentrated in Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, Bourgas, Rouse and Stara Zagora.

Entry into Greece by land at night possible only across Kulata – Promachonas

Starting on the evening of August 7, Greece introduces a ban on crossing all land border crossings of the country in the time period from 23.00 to 07.00, with the exception of the Kulata-Promachonas border checkpoint on the border with Bulgaria. The measure is being introduced because of the rising number of coronavirus cases in Bulgaria.

Meanwhile, after 13 registered coronavirus cases, the authorities in Greece quarantined the island of Poros, 50 kms. from Athens. The Ministry of Citizen Protection has mandated mask-wearing in public spaces, both indoors and outdoors, the BNR’s correspondent in Greece Katya Peeva reports.  

Children are not Covid-19 high-risk group and must return to school: Prof. Mira Kozhuharova

“The percentage of people with Covid-19 can be inferred by the number of peoplehospitalized and placed in intensive care units,” epidemiologist Prof. Mira Kozhuharova told BNT.

Before the pandemic, in epidemiology “case” meant any patient who is will. While now anyone with a positive test, even if there are no complaints or symptoms, is also called a “case”. The virus has spread throughout society. The epidemic in Bulgaria started much later and is now following its own laws. The professor says it is important to calmly accept the risk and for life to go on. Therefore, she believes that children should return to school.

“They are not a high-risk group. Even children infected with the virus are asymptomatic and practically do not get sick,” Prof. Kozhuharova says.

New Covid-19 cases are less than 5% of tests performed over past 24 hours

297 newly infected patients were registered in the country out of 6,433 PCR tests conducted over the past 24 hours, according to data of the Single Information Portal.

After 294,087 tests conducted since the beginning of the pandemic, 13,014 Covid-19 cases have so far been confirmed. 5,205 cases remain active. 874 patients are in hospital, 47 in intensive care units. Eleven people passed away in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll up to 435. In the past 24 hours 220 patients have recovered,bringing the number of recoveries since the beginning of the epidemic up to 7,347.

14 Ukrainian citizens working in Razgrad region test positive for Covid-19

14 Ukrainian citizens who are working on the Balkan Stream gas pipeline in Razgrad region are among the newly confirmed coronavirus cases in Bulgaria, BNR-Shumen reports. Their condition does not require hospitalization. They will remain isolated at the hotel where they have been accommodated. Regional health inspectorate experts have already traced their contacts and their living quarters have been disinfected.  

First organ transplantation in Bulgaria since start of pandemic

Heart and liver transplant operations have been performed in Bulgaria for the first time since January and after the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic. In the

The two transplantations became possible after a donor situation in Pleven involving a 25-year-old man, the Medical Supervision Executive Agency announced.

In Dobrich Covid-19 patients are treated by gastroenterologists

The Covid-19 sectors at the general hospital in the town of Dobrich, Northeastern Bulgaria, do not have a single doctor who is an infectious diseases specialist or pulmonologist.

This fact has been reported by gastroenterologists in the hospital who have to treat the 40 patients with coronavirus infection admitted to the hospital.

A head nurse from one of the hospital wards who is infected with coronavirus is in serious condition and is intubated. The regional prosecutor’s office in Dobrich has initiated an investigation into the hospital’s activities in the conditions of pandemic.

Compiled by Krasimir Martinov

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