site.btaPrime Minister: Bulgaria Ranks 25th in COVID-19 Incidence in Europe over Last 14 Days

Sofia, February 15 (BTA) - Bulgaria ranks 25th in COVID-19
incidence in Europe over the last 14 days, Prime Minister Boyko
Borissov said in a Facebook post on Monday after a working
meeting with members of the National Coronavirus Task Force, the
 National Vaccination Task Force and government ministers
earlier in the day. "This gives us confidence that the
relaxation of the restrictions does not lead to a wider spread
of the infection, and shows that we are exercising effective
control over the epidemic in this country," Borissov commented.

According to a government press release, Education and Science
Minister Krassimir Vulchev told the meeting that about 2,900
classes of students reverted to in-person schooling after an
order by Health Minister Kostadin Angelov on Sunday.

A total of 460,000 children go to school physically and 260,000
study online. In addition, 240,000 kids attend kindergarten,
Vulchev reported.

Executive Agency for Medicines CEO Bogdan Kirilov said COVID-19
vaccines continue to be supplied and distributed regularly
across Bulgaria. The country has received some 60,000 vaccine
doses over the last four days alone and expects another 240,000
doses by the end of February.

The three suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines to Bulgaria have made
forecasts which indicate that the country can receive over
500,000 vaccine doses in March, which will help expedite the
immunization process and make it clear when the fourth phase of
the process will start.

Out of 98 cases referred to the National Centre for Infectious
and Parasitic Diseases last week, 68 were proven to involve the
new coronavirus variant from Britain, Health Minister Angelov
said.

Labour and Social Policy Minister Denitsa Sacheva told the Prime
 Minister that vaccinations in the social service system
continue step by step, and in Sofia they have been completed.
Over 1 billion leva has been disbursed to businesses under
Labour Ministry measures to retain and create jobs, she said.

The Ministry has provided an average of 900 leva for every
online-studying child whose family has applied for support. A
total of 51,550 such applications have been submitted so far,
and over 30 million leva has been paid to 35,700 families,
Sacheva said.

On behalf of Economy Minister Luchezar Borissov, Sacheva
reported that 120 million leva in aid has reached businesses
over the last 30 days. This includes 50 million leva provided
via the Bulgarian Development Bank to guarantee interest-free
loans mainly to individuals. The remaining 70 million leva has
been disbursed under Operational Programme Innovation and
Competitiveness and has reached companies through a measure
implemented via the National Revenue Agency and through support
procedures for micro businesses and transport companies. NV/VE