The Minister of Health Dr. Stoycho Katsarov, Deputy Minister Alexander Zlatanov, the Director of NCIPD Prof. Iva Hristova and Prof. Mira Kozhuharova, Advisor to the Minister of Health gave a briefing on the current situation with COVID-19 in Bulgaria

I see that a lot of people have strained and spread false statements and make false conclusions about the situation, said the Minister of Health at the beginning of the briefing.

Today we will not talk about measures, on Friday we will invite you to talk about measures at the national level, he specified.

However, Katsarov is convinced that measures should be implemented at the district level, individually. Strict restrictive measures do not need to be applied at all, he said.

I confirm what I have always said, if there is a lockdown – schools will be the last to close, the Minister is categorical.

There is no room for chaos or panic. The system is well organized and well prepared, Katsarov is adamant.

We are making great efforts, we are working very actively to provide before the end of this month an additional treatment with monoclonal bodies for people seriously ill with Covid. There is a possibility for this to happen, at the moment all the necessary documentation is being prepared, explained Dr. Katsarov.

The Minister of Health also commented on the third dose of vaccination, explaining that the recommendation is to give it to everyone who has completed a vaccination course, but this is the discretion of each doctor and there is no need to issue an order from the Minister.

There are no administrative obstacles, we have sent this opinion to all RHIs in the country, explained Dr. Katsarov.

The situation is tense, it is not easy, but we are neither panicked nor in chaos, the minister stressed again.

About the Nurses’ Protest – For now with Peace and Love

He also commented on the protest of medical officials in front of the Ministry of Health today.

I had a very pleasant conversation with the nurses and told them that I was angry that they were protesting against me. Because in these few months, my team and I have done more for them than some for years, the minister stressed.

Katsarov pointed out the main accents that the department has developed for the nurses. We parted with the words - for now peace and love, he added.

Is there a Lack of Beds for the Covid Infected Patients?

At present, a total of 7268 Covid patients have been diagnosed in the country, of which 760 are intensive. 5646 is the number of occupied beds, 485 of them are intensive, explained Deputy Minister Zlatanov.

In Sofia the situation is as follows - 1569 beds were opened, 231 of them for intensive care. At the moment, 1,236 are employed, of which 212 are for intensive care. 333 beds are free, the Deputy Minister specified.

There are 100 Covid zones opened, so we are moving according to plan at the national level, Zlatanov stressed.

When asked by BNT, he answered that at the moment there is no problem with a shortage of rapid tests, such are provided to all Covid zones and other units that need at the moment.

1/3 Lower Mortality Rate Compared to Previous Waves

So far, there have been two major pandemic waves - in the beginning the incidence was very low, the increase began in October last year, explained Prof. Kozhuharova.

From the beginning of August, the incidence began to increase with a slower course, she added.

Prof. Kozhuharova explained what the level of morbidity was in the previous waves of the pandemic and how it affected mortality. 7920 people is the total number of deaths in the first wave, 8459 are in the second.

As can be seen from the data, the total mortality is now one third less, which may be due to the fact that there are still 20% of the population who have been vaccinated, added Minister Katsarov.

Where are We in Infection Rate Compared to our Neighbors?

The Director of NCIPD, Prof. Iva Hristova, presented a comparative analysis of the incidence in our country compared to other countries.

In neighboring Serbia, the number of patients is many times higher than in Bulgaria. With other countries, the indicators are similar, for example with Turkey, the incidence in our country is slightly lower. In Albania, the incidence is slightly lower. As for Greece, the situation is similar to that of Albania. In Romania, the incidence is many times higher.

The delta variant is currently being 100% sequenced, but its 38 sub-variants are also being monitored, added Prof. Hristova. At the moment, this variant has flooded the world because of its transmissibility, she added.

/BNT

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