Health Minister at news briefing on Covid-19: Not preparing to re-open kindergartens

For the past 7 days, 16,872 people recovered from COVID infection in Bulgaria. For this week, the recoveries are 11,405, Minister of Health Prof. Kostadin Angelov said on December 10 at the beginning of the regular weekly briefing on the situation with COVID-19 in Bulgaria. "These figures are the hope in this battle, which continues to put pressure on the health care system," he said.

3,328 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours in the country from nearly 8,600 PCR tests. The largest number of positive cases were registered in the districts of Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna. Nearly 7,000 patients remain in hospital, more than 540 of them in serious condition.

In terms of 14-day morbidity indicator, Bulgaria ranks 9th in the European Union with 554 per 100,000 patients. We are in third place in the Balkans, said Prof. Todor Kantardzhiev, director of the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases. In terms of mortality in the EU, Bulgaria is in second place. "The past 10 days have seen a slight downward trend. This should not reduce our vigilance, he appealed.

"We are not preparing to re-open kindergartens, at the moment the data do not lead us in this direction," Minister of Health said.

"We need all the information by the end of this week in order to make such decision. When we have enough data, we will or will not make this decision. Let's not give up in the middle of the road. There are only 10 days left until December 21. "Let's spend them in partnership. We ask all Bulgarians to understand the need for the measures and support them," he added.

The pressure is huge. According to some, the measures are liberal, according to others – they are not, and some do not believe in the existence of the virus, said the Minister of Health. He recalled that the virus surprised all predictions, everyone was wrong, he added.

I restrain from giving definite opinions. We are watching every trend, in Bulgaria, inside and outside the European Union. The situation is very dynamic. The hope comes with the vaccines," said the Minister of Health.

images by BGNES