site.btaBulgaria Receives New Batch of Vaccines, Coronavirus Task Force Recommends Gradual Easing of Restrictions

Sofia, January 25 (BTA) - Bulgaria received a new batch of
14,040 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines on Monday. This is the fifth
vaccine shipment to Bulgaria and it arrives in compensation for
the
 previous incomplete delivery when 18,500 vaccines were
delivered instead of 35,000.

Bulgarian Drug Agency Director Bogdan Kirilov told journalists
that another 83,000 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are expected in
February and 104,000 in March, but the number is not final. Some
 3,600 Moderna vaccines are expected at the end of the week.

Kirilov added that a decision of the European Medicines Agency
is expected by the end of the week and if it is positive and the
 European Commission grants approval, there will be deliveries
of the AstraZeneca vaccine in February. He said that a fourth
vaccine may get approved which will speed up the vaccination
campaign.

Kirilov said that Bulgaria expects 4.5 million doses of the
Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which means that 2.5
million people will get vaccinated by the end of the year but
with five approved vaccines over 2 million people will be
vaccinated by June.

Kirilov said: "We have information that the European Medicines
Agency and the Russian vaccine producer have opened negotiations
 and if the vaccine meets EU requirements, it will likely get an
 approval."

There is no data so far that the first two EU-approved vaccines
are not effective against the Brazilian and British virus
strains, he added.

National Coronavirus Task Force Recommends Gradual Easing of
Restrictions

Later in the day, the national coronavirus task force held a
meeting which confirmed a decision for 5th- to 12th graders to
resume in-person classes from February 4 according to a strict
schedule.

Also from February, gyms, sport,  dance, and culture halls and
shops in shopping malls may open. This is due to the fact that
as a result of the restrictions the 14-day infection rates in
Bulgaria are below 100 per 100,000 population and the country is
 one of four EU countries outside the red zone.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov ordered Health Minister Kostadin
Angelov to meet with restaurant, club and hotel owners and
discuss possible scenarios for reopening of their facilities.

Borissov underscored that if the hospitality establishments open
 now, with the growing number of infections they will have to be
 closed against which will burden the process of payment of
compensation.

"On Monday we'll take steps to issue an order requiring all EU
and third-country arrivals to present a PCR test upon entry into
 Bulgaria. This is done to better protect Bulgarian citizens
against the new coronavirus strain," said Health Minister
Angelov.
 
National coronavirus task force chief and Military Medical
Academy Director Ventsislav Mutafchiiski and Pirogov Emergency
Hospital Director Assen Baltov reported that the number of
hospitalized patients at their establishments is decreasing.
National Centre for Infections and Parasitic Diseases head and
coronavirus task force member Todor Kantardzhiev said that there
 is no medical evidence that the new COVID-19 strain is more
severe but it is certainly more infectious. NV/PP