site.bta30 Per Cent of Hospital Beds Set Aside for Covid-19 Patients Occupied, Health Minister Says

November 5 (BTA) - Nearly 30 per cent of hospital beds set aside for the treatment of Covid-19 patients nationwide are occupied at the moment, as are 20 per cent of such beds in intensive care, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov told a regular weekly briefing of the coronavirus task force on Thursday. Noting that Bulgaria enters a serious phase of the epidemic, Angelov urged for compliance with the measures and common sense.

There are enough quantities of personal protective equipment in Bulgaria. A new delivery of 1,700 vials of Remdesivir is expected on Thursday, and another one of 4,300 vials next week.

Angelov said there is no single specific drug for the treatment of the coronavirus infection. "We hope that a vaccine will be available for the Bulgarian citizens in April," he said.

Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kounchev said that he has suggested a set of measures that are being discussed. They include distance learning in all higher education establishments, with the exception of seminar classes of medical students, and setting aside the 8 am - 10 am band for shopping by elderly people. Kounchev also said that the Health Minister should be given powers, as soon as possible, to second medical professionals in out-of-hospital care to hospital care, so as to make more even the workload in the healthcare system. Kounchev further urged for limiting the opening hours of eating and drinking establishments to 10 pm, and limiting office work to half capacity. In his words, the measures need to be extended after the current cut-off date of November 12.

Angelov said that at the moment there are no plans, or a need, to put up patients in hotels. The next step in a more complicated development will be to transform entire hospitals for the treatment of only coronavirus patients, he said. RY/ZH
/DT/