Angel Kunchev

We expect, if not the beginning of a downward trend in new cases occurrence, then at least a plateau. That's what Dr. Angel Kunchev told bTV. This infection showed that there is no threshold, he added. That's why the trend is important.

The final decision to further tighten the measures in Sofia and the rest of the country will be announced at a regular briefing of the National Operational Headquarters on Thursday. The new measures will enter into force most likely on Saturday - for Sofia and for the country - on Monday, said at a briefing Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof.

The Association of Restaurants in Bulgaria (SZB) and the Bulgarian Association of Restaurants (BAZ) are pushing for the introduction of a strict and all-encompassing two-week quarantine. Such a lockdown period is only possible if it applies to absolutely all state institutions, except those of essential necessity, the organizations said.

Over the past 14 days, we have seen a slight but steady trend towards a gradual rise in both morbidity and bed occupancy rates in hospitals. We also see a good trend and will analyze chances that it will continue - the number of cured relative to the number of confirmed cases - close to 1:3.

In the last 24 hours, 1,681 new cases of coronavirus have been registered in Bulgaria, and 13,697 tests have been performed, according to data published in the Unified Information Portal.

Vaccination "green corridors" will be temporarily rolled off until new shipments of vaccines arrive, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov announced at the beginning of the regular briefing on the current epidemic situation in Bulgaria, as quoted by BNT. We now pin hopes on Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, he added.

The restaurants will open from March 1 and will work at50% capacity, up to 6 people per table and with opening hours until 11 p.m. And the nightlife establishments will open from April 1, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Mariana Nikolova after a working meeting with the Minister of Health Prof. Kostadin Angelov. The discussion was attended by Assoc. Prof.

Bulgaria ranks 15th in COVID-19 mortality rate in the EU with 7.3 deaths per 100,000, Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev said at a regular news briefing on the epidemic situation on Thursday. Bulgaria, Greece and the Scandinavian countries (except Sweden) are in the zone of low caseload.

"At the moment there is no real choice of vaccines, we expect that people will be able to choose a vaccine in the summer," Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev told Nova TV.

Kunchev explained that this is because we do not have enough vaccines of all kinds as of yet. He reminded that currently the fewest doses our country have received are of  vaccine.

The incidence rate of coronavirus upped by32% within a week, and compared to two weeks earlier, by 54%. The mortality rate increased by 4%, head of the National Operational Headquarters Gen. Ventsislav Mutafchiiski said at the regular briefing of the health ministry.

Hospital beds occupancy in Covid-19 wards, shows more than 15% growth in a week.