Hotels in Albena resort close over lack of tourists

The Albena resort complex on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast has started to gradually close hotels. The reason is the declining number of tourists. Charter flights have been canceled. On Friday, Germany - one of the most important markets for Bulgarian tourism, declared Bulgaria’s northern Black Sea coast a dangerous destination because of the spread of Covid-19. The situation in the complex is calm. There has been no data about infected tourists so far. Last week the guests of the Albena complex were 8,000 and this week they are about 6,500, BNR correspondent in Dobrich Maya Shtarbanova has reported.

Fewer tourists visit Bulgaria in June

A total of 2030 tourist sites-hotels, motels, camp sites and other places of accommodation functioned during the first summer month against the backdrop of the emergency epidemic situation. According to data of the National Statistical Institute, the total number of people employed at the accommodation places decreased by 32.7% as compared to June 2019.  59.3% of the people accommodated at four or five star hotels were foreign nationals and 29.8% were Bulgarian tourists. 21.3% of the people who stayed at three-star hotels were foreign tourists and 29.8% were Bulgarians. 19.4% of the people accommodated at one and two-star hotels were foreign tourists and 38.9% were Bulgarian nationals. In June 2020, the number of guests decreased with 80.6% as compared to the same month last year. The number of foreign guests decreased by 94.5% and the number of Bulgarian tourists fell with 59.5%.

Italy keeps quarantine requirements for all arrivals from Bulgaria until September 7

Italy is to keep quarantine requirements for all arrivals from Bulgaria until September 7, the decree of the Italian cabinet, which enters into force today reads, BNT informs. The measure applies to arrivals from Romania as well.

53 new cases of coronavirus infection in Bulgaria for past 24 hours

The new cases of coronavirus infection in Bulgaria after 1275 PCR tests for the past 24 hours are 53, or 4.16%. This is shown by data from the Unified Information Portal. The biggest number of new cases is in Plovdiv - 14, followed by Sofia - 8, Pazardzhik - 7, and Dobrich - 7. In the past 24 hours, two patients with coronavirus passed away. 5,177 cases are still active, a check by Radio Bulgaria showed. 54 people recovered from the novel coronavirus. 54 patients remain in intensive care units, while a total of 849 people are in hospital. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 304,811 PCR tests have been performed in the country and 13,396 of them, or 4.39%, have been positive.

Two-year-old child from Radomir tests positive for Covid-19

The boy and his mother are among the 19 people diagnosed with coronavirus infection in Pernik district between August 7 and 9, the regional health inspectorate informs. There are 55 active cases of Covid-19 on the territory of Pernik region at present. 15 people are receiving hospital treatment, the BNR reporter in Pernik Elena Tamakyarska informed.

Municipal hospitals are experiencing staff and financial deficits, demand more money for clinical pathways

In the first six months of 2020, the National Health Insurance Fund paid the Bulgarian hospitals EUR 100 million less than planned earlier in the budget. This is mainly due to the sharp decline in the number of patients, Dr. Nedelcho Totev, Chairman of the Association of Municipal Hospitals in Bulgaria said in an interview for BNR. He warned than some municipal hospitals may close due to the lack of finance and staff shortage. 

Bulgaria to change methodology for determining poverty line

According to a draft government decree to supplement the methodology for determining the poverty line in the country, the Minister of Labor and Social Policy will be able to propose the size of the official poverty line according to the possibilities of the state budget. The draft was published for public discussion. The amendments are due to the deteriorated economic situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Compiled by: Elena Karkalanova