Bulgarian health authorities: New anti-Covid-19 measures may be introduced next week

Most likely, new anti-epidemic measures will be introduced from the beginning of next week, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Alexander Zlatanov, said on August 18.

According to him, anti-epidemic measures are the only effective way to deal with the infection rate.

"The vaccinated people in Bulgaria are about 20%, those who had been ill with Covid-19 are up to 40%, which is a very low level of protection to rely on in the spread of this wave. Therefore, the only thing that remains effective are the anti-epidemic measures," said the Deputy Minister of Health.

Zlatanov stressed that 2-3 weeks ago the number of patients doubled every two weeks, and now in just one week the number of patients with Covid-19 doubled. The number of hospitalisations is also increasing. For a week, they have gone up from 1,300 to 1,800. The people in need of intensive care are now 160, from 100 last week, which means that there is a serious intensity of the pandemic, Zlatanov said.

"In mid-June, the alpha variant of the virus was replaced by the new Delta variant, which is twice as contagious," Deputy Minister Zlatanov said.

The patients are now more in the younger age group – 20-39 years old.