site.bta7,442 PCR Tests Confirm New Daily Record of 998 COVID-19 Cases, Bringing Bulgaria's Total to 28,505

Sofia, October 17 (BTA) - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases
 in Bulgaria reached 28,505 after 7,442 PCR tests identified 998
 new infections in the 24 hours until Friday midnight, according
 to data posted on www.coronavirus.bg. The test positivity rate
now stands at 13.4 per cent.

Sofia City Region tops the list of new cases with 306 positive
tests, followed by Plovdiv Region with 107, Sliven Region with
58 and Blagoevgrad Region with 49.

A total of 602,807 PCR tests have been performed since the first
 infections were diagnosed on March 8.

The active cases are 10,672. The newly infected persons include
37 medical staff (17 doctors, 9 nurses, 1 orderly, 1 feldsher
and 9 other), and this category now totals 1,520.

Currently, the hospitalized patients number 1,450, including 76
in intensive care.

Another 197 COVID-19 patients have recovered over the last 24
hours, bringing the total to 16,875.

Fourteen more fatalities were reported, and the death toll now
totals 958. NV/LG