site.btaHealth Minister Angelov: Local Approach to COVID Measures Is Under Discussion

March 4 (BTA) - The health authorities are discussing a local approach to curbing the COVID-19 epidemic in Bulgaria, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov told a briefing at the Council of Ministers on Thursday. He said that the current situation in Bulgaria is apparently caused by the circulation of the British strain of the virus. The conclusion was confirmed on Wednesday by Prof. Todor Kantardjiev, director of the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD), Minister Angelov added.

According to data of the last two weeks, Bulgaria ranks 18th in the EU and 5th in the Balkans in coronavirus incidence, said chief health inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev, adding that incidence varies wildly across Bulgaria, from 487 per 100,000 people in Kyustendil to 27 per 100,000 in Targovishte.

Minister Angelov also said that planned activities and hospitalizations will be limited in Burgas, adding that such a measure is not necessary in Sofia at this stage. However, the limitation may be applied to Kyustendil, Vratsa and Pleven, where even planned operations will have to be stopped, Kunchev added.

According to Angelov, NCIPD is expecting results from 600 samples it has sent to Germany for verification if they contain the British variant of the virus.

Kunchev pointed out that other strains of the coronavirus have also given reasons for serious concern, such as the Brazilian and the Nigerian variants.

Executive director of the Bulgarian Drug Agency Bogdan Kirilov told the briefing that the paperwork evaluation of Janssen's vaccine by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is in its final stage. If the product is approved, it will be the first one-dose vaccine on the market. Deliveries of Janssen vaccines are expected to start in April. The preliminary inspection of documentation for another vaccine is also under way, he added.

Kirilov also said that EMA is expected to publish information on the start of the official documentation inspection for the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. He explained that it was unclear how much time the procedures would take, but Bulgaria's health authorities are prepared to start administering it. He told the briefing that Germany and France have not yet confirmed their preparedness to lend vaccines to Bulgaria.

Minister Angelov added that Bulgaria has not negotiated vaccine deliveries from Israel.

NV/MT
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