Prof. Kantardzhiev: There will be no lockdown because of coronavirus

“There will be no lockdown because of the coronavirus epidemic,”Prof. Todor Kantardzhiev, Director of the National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases said for bTV. He specified that the regional coronavirus headquarters will take measures depending on the data regarding the spread of Covid-19 in their regions, and the National Operational Headquarters will make its recommendations. 
“What we have to do at this time is keep retirement homes and hospitals safe so as to prevent outbreaks there,” Prof. Kantardzhiev said further and added: “We saw that there is nothing to fear at schools.” 
Prof. Kantardzhiev recommended the broad application of rapid antibody tests so as to save the healthcare system.

Shutting people up in their homes is absurd: immunologist

“Shutting people up in their homes is an absurd measure because it slows down but does not halt the spread of the coronavirus infection,” Assoc. Prof. Andrey Chorbanov, head of the “Immunology” department of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences said for the BNR. 
He added that the virus is not transmitted outdoors, but is transmitted within groups of people. “If we shut ourselves up again at home without meeting other people, we shall bring the numbers down to the closest family circles,” the immunologist stated, and added that once the measures are lifted we shall be back where we are now. 
“The virus won’t go away until it meets with all of its potential hosts. Of course, there will be a large group of people who will never be positive,” he concluded.

Another record-breaking day: 11.8% of PCR tests performed return positive

448 is the number of newly registered coronavirus cases out of 3,795 PCR tests performed in Bulgaria over the past 24 hours, or 11.8% of all tests conducted, show Single Information Portal data. The highest number of newly registered cases is again in Sofia - 116, followed by Blagoevgrad - 55, Varna - 49, Plovdiv - 42. 
4 patients with coronavirus have died over the past 24 hours, 105 have recovered, 1,189 are in hospital, 59 of them are in ICU. The number of active cases is 7,610. The number of Covid-19 cases among medical staff since the start of the pandemic is 1,357. 
24,319 people have so far been infected with coronavirus in the country since the start of the epidemic, the death toll is 891.

Another 38 people infected in care home near Sliven

The number of Covid-19 cases registered at the home for adults with mental disabilities in Kachulka near the town of Sliven is going up, Regional Health Inspectorate data show. Another 38 members of the staff at the home have been infected with coronavirus, bringing their number up to 42. 
20 of them are medical workers – nurses and orderlies. 12 of the residents are also infected.

Three school classes quarantined because of infected students in Plovdiv region

Pupils from two schools in Plovdiv and one in Sopot have tested positive for coronavirus, the Regional Crisis Headquarters has announced. Because of three students diagnosed with Covid-19 – in the 7^th, 9^th and 11^th grade – their classes are under quarantine and will switch to distance learning as of tomorrow. 

Compiled by Diana Tsankova