site.btaNational Coronavirus Task Force Chief Warns of Growing COVID-19 Morbidity, Mortality, Serious Strain on Hospitals

 Sofia, March 11 (BTA) - The National coronavirus task force
chief, Gen. Ventsislav Moutafchiiski, said during a briefing at
the Council of Ministers here on Thursday that there has been an
 exponential growth of new COVID-19 cases in at least 14 days
and Bulgaria is seeing the levels from the start of last
November. The number of deaths has increased sharply as well -
up by 53 per cent compared to a week earlier, which is very
concerning. Hospitals are reaching or nearing their limits,
Moutafchiiski said, giving as an example Sofia's Military
Medical Academy, which has only five vacant beds remaining.

The briefing was also attended by Health Minister Kostadin
Angelov, Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kounchev, national
vaccination task force head Krasimir Gigov, and the Director of
the Bulgarian Drug Agency, Bogdan Kirilov.

Kounchev said that the COVID-19 wave is severe in Central and
Eastern Europe, as well as the Balkans, with Bulgaria ranking
16th in the EU and 5th in the Balkans in terms of morbidity.

The Health Minister called on people to trust the vaccination
process, noting that it is the only way to return to a normal
life.

The Bulgarian Drug Agency Director noted that the reported
COVID-19 vaccine adverse reactions are low, around 3 per 1,000,
which adds up to 840 reports.

Commenting on the news that Austria has suspended inoculations
with a specific batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Kirilov said
that according to the European Medicines Agency, there is no
evidence shots from this batch cause serious side effects and
the Agency does not recommend that different countries suspend
inoculations with it. Doses from the batch in question have been
 supplied to 17 countries, and Bulgaria has administered over
30,000 such doses, he explained. The Bulgarian health
authorities have not received any reports of adverse reactions,
except for fever, Kirilov added.

The European Commission has negotiated with Pfizer the supply of
 over 4,000,000 additional doses, which will be delivered to the
 EU within two weeks, Kirilov said. "We are expecting to see how
 many Bulgaria will get. Talks continue with the other EU Member
 States on the supply of additional quantities to Bulgaria. In
April, we are expecting an increase in the supplies from Pfizer
and Moderna, but there is no concrete information, while
information is expected from AstraZeneca as well," the Bulgarian
 Drug Agency chief said. NV/MY