Bulgaria to receive over 1.25 million vaccines from EU by end of June

Bulgaria is to receive 1,251,000  doses of “solidarity vaccines”, the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU told the Bulgarian National Radio. The news has been confirmed by diplomatic sources in Sofia. These numbers were negotiated at a meeting of the permanent representatives of the member countries. The agreement was proposed by the Portuguese Presidency. The doses are part of the total of 10 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine negotiated at the latest European Council meeting. They will be distributed proportionally to the population of the member countries and will be delivered during the second quarter of 2021. On Facebook, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov commented that this was good news for Bulgaria but also for the whole of Europe because it demonstrates the solidarity existing in the EU. 

Easing of Covid-19 measures now is suicidal, a general practitioner says

"The coronavirus is definitely ahead of the vaccination process and it is what immunizes the Bulgarian population," general practitioner Dr. Valentin Yanev has told BNR. He pointed out that the vaccination process was seriously lagging behind and this happens at the costly price of 5% mortality. The doctor predicts that a change in the vaccine-virus ratio is unlikely to occur, as 2.5 million vaccines were needed to achieve herd immunity. According to Dr. Valentin Yanev, the easing of measures on April 1 was a suicidal act, which would have catastrophic consequences. 

Official: Vaccination certificates are to be free of charge

Less than 20% of coronavirus tests performed in past 24 hours return positive

3,694 is the number of newly registered Covid-19 cases in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours, or 19.97% of the 18,502 tests performed, Single Coronavirus Information Portal data show. The highest number of newly registered infections is in Sofia-city – 942, followed by Varna - 352 and Plovdiv - 281. 70,919 is the number of active cases. 10,152 coronavirus patients are being treated in hospital, of them 747 in intensive care. 166 coronavirus patients have died in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll in the country to 13,313. 2,534 have recovered, bringing the number of recoveries from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic in Bulgaria to 262,095. 13,559 doses of vaccine have been administered in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of vaccinations in the country to 486,000, of them – 97,407 re-vaccinations.

Covid-19 vaccination may become mandatory for some professions

“Vaccination may become a requirement for starting work in certain spheres,” Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev said for Nova TV. “I am proposing that it become a precondition for starting work, as is the case now with hepatitis B vaccination for working in hospitals,” Assoc. Prof. Kunchev said and added that he had sent a letter to the social minister requesting that the people working at care homes be vaccinated against Covid-19. The latest coronavirus cases at retirement homes show that the infection was actually transmitted by members of the staff who had refused to be vaccinated, data indicate. “If 50% of the population are inoculated by the end of June there can be no severe epidemic, if 70% are vaccinated there can be no progression of the epidemic,” Angel Kunchev said.

Compiled by: Vesela Krasteva

English version: Radio Bulgaria’s English Service

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

You can also follow all latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak and all measures in Bulgaria in 9 more languages at Radio Bulgaria.