News briefing on Covid-19: “Green corridors” for vaccination will be temporarily stopped until more vaccines arrive

The green corridors for vaccination will be temporarily suspended until more vaccines arrive, the Minister of Health, Kostadin Angelov, said on February 25 at the beginning of the regular weekly briefing on the current epidemic situation in the country. The hope is in the Johnson and Jansen vaccine, he added.

There is a trend of increase in the incidence of new cases. But the number of vaccinated is also increasing, the minister told the briefing. "We are racing with the virus and we will see who will finish first," he said.

The newly registered cases in the past 24 hours are 1,733 from 12,066 tests, which means the positivity rate is 14%. The largest number of new cases are in Sofia - 464, followed by Plovdiv district with 139 and Burgas - 94. The number of Covid-19 hospitalisations is also increasing – 4,202 people, of which 369 are in intensive care units.

"We are unpleasantly surprised by another non-compliance with the agreement for the delivery of the Oxford vaccine," said the Minister of Health. Yesterday it became clear that the company will not deliver the pre-agreed doses to our country on time.

"Dear representatives of Astra Zeneca, we do not need your politeness and courtesy, we need vaccines," said Kostadin Angelov.

Prof. Angelov assured that in the recent days there have been extremely serious talks at various levels with the supplier company. "At the level of the Ministry of Health, at the level of minister, deputy minister, chief secretaries, heads of cabinets, directors of directorates, director of the Executive Agency for Medicines, in absolutely all working groups. Within two days we expect a reaction and decision-making from boards, directors, European directors to decide that the lorry with vaccines will set off for Bulgaria," he assured.

In terms of morbidity in the past 14 days, Bulgaria ranks 22nd in the European Union and 5th in the Balkans. We are in the 14th place in the EU in terms of mortality, the Chief State Health Inspector, Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev, summarized the data.

19 districts in the country are in the "red zone" in terms of morbidity. 7 districts are in the "orange zone" and only two - Vidin and Targovishte, remain in the "yellow zone". For another week, the highest incidence remains in Kyustendil district, said Assoc. Prof. Kunchev.

The Military Medical Academy and St. Anna hospitals temporarily suspend vaccination due to lack of vaccines

The "green corridors" will be temporarily suspended until more doses of vaccine arrive, Minister Angelov announced.

"According to the company, the lorry leaves on Friday, we expect it to arrive in Bulgaria on Saturday. If these 52,000 doses come on Saturday, they will be redistributed no matter when they arrive. Today, 12,000 doses of Moderna vaccine arrived.We are also waiting for Pfizer vaccines in March, so I expect things to get better," he explained.

"Not only in Bulgaria there are queues of people waiting for vaccination, but there are no vaccines because the suppliers do not fulfill their contracts," the minister noted. He assured that there is no concern for people vaccinated with Astra Zeneca. "Now the second doses will come, there will be no compromising as regards the administering of the second dose," said Prof. Angelov.

Чуйте последните новини, където и да сте!
Последвайте ни във Facebook и Instagram
Следете и канала на БНТ в YouTube
Вече може да ни гледате и в TikTok
Намерете ни в Google News