Covid-19 mortality in Bulgaria is 1%

Mortality depends on the number of patients and in Bulgaria it is 1%, said in an interview with Nova TV the Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Dr. Angel Kunchev. According to him, Bulgaria’s health system was doing well, but if many cases were concentrated in one place, it would be difficult. Even if the positive tests reach 1,000 people a day, there is room to accommodate them, but the problem is that there is no one to treat so many people. According to Dr. Kunchev, there are about 140 infectious diseases experts in Bulgaria and in addition, intensive care beds in hospitals are limited and are not used only for coronavirus. "They must continue to work for accident victims and other patients in urgent need of resuscitation," the health inspector added.

New anti-crisis measures to support business in Bulgaria

Trade unions and employers' organizations have discussed with the Minister of Economy ways to distribute European financing under anti-crisis measures aimed at micro, small and middle enterprises. The funds total EUR 656 million or BGN 1,283,000,000. According to the Minister, the aid intensity will be 100%, and the ceiling is still under discussion: 50,000 or 100,000 BGN. In order to give business a chance, changes must be adopted that will allow the funds to be assimilated as quickly as possible, and not in procedures that last 5 or 6 months.

Farmers can also claim compensations over Covid-19

By the end of the year, 1.7 billion Bulgarian levs will be paid to farmers, Minister of Agriculture Desislava Taneva said during her visit to the region of Pleven, BNR correspondent there reported. The Minister told people in the region that all farmers and processing companies could apply for the Covid-19 compensation measure. Minister Taneva pointed out that for the first time because of drought, nearly 1,000,000 decares had been affected and in Eastern Bulgaria the damage was serious. "We have state aid and all those who have 100% failed areas will be compensated in the autumn," Minister Taneva added.

Decline in Bulgaria's GDP caused by coronavirus crisis will be less than 7% annually

This is what Minister of Economy Lachezar Borisov said. He predicts that this country would not be among the most affected by the crisis in Europe.

Varna ahead of Sofia in number of newly infected people with coronavirus

New cases of Covid-19 infection in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours have reached 3.4 percent of 5,108 PCR tests performed, data of the Unified Coronavirus Information Portal show. The highest number of new infections was registered in Varna-33, followed by Sofia-31 and Blagoevgrad-23 cases. 834 people are receiving medical treatment in hospitals, 63 of whom in intensive care units. 11 people diagnosed with Covid-19 passed away in the past 24 hours in Bulgaria. 325 patients have recovered from the infection in the past 24 hours. The total number of Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic reached 13,893. The number of active cases now stands at 4,932.

Assoc. Prof. Mangarov says students should return to school

Children should start the school year in class, but with better hygiene in schools, said Assoc. Prof. Atanas Mangarov, head of the children's ward at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Sofia. He added that the increased number of patients with coronavirus in the intensive care units of hospitals did not mean that the crisis with Covid-19 was getting worse.

Varna hoteliers struggling for survival

Just half of Varna's hotels have opened their doors, Pavlin Kosev, chairman of the local Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs, has told BNR. According to him, one of the problems of this tourist season is that it cannot be planned, as the situation changes daily. The number of tourists in the region and in Varna is not big, Pavlin Kosev said, explaining it with closed borders because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Citizens of North Macedonia, Spanish, Germans and Romanians are among the foreign tourists. Many reservations have been made for September, when good weather and lower prices are expected. See more about the situation on the North Black Sea coast here.

Israel lifts quarantine for people arriving from Bulgaria, Croatia and Greece

The requirement for a 14-day quarantine for those arriving from Bulgaria has been lifted, the Bulgarian embassy in Tel Aviv informed. The measure, which takes effect on August 16th, will also be valid for citizens of Croatia and Greece entering Israel.

You can find all stories and important publications related to Covid-19 in Bulgaria at our special coverage section in English.

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Compiled by: Diana Tsankova