site.btaFlu Epidemic Declared in Pleven Region

A flu epidemic was declared in between January 24 and 31, Pleven Regional Health Inspectorate Director Iliyan Minchev told BTA on Tuesday.

Traditional measures will be introduced - suspension of routine consultations for healthy pregnant women and children; suspension of preventive check-ups and mandatory immunizations and re-immunizations; suspension of visits to hospitals and social care facilities for children and adults; daily examinations in nurseries, kindergartens and schools, with sick children to be returned home; no sick staff to be allowed to work; disinfection and frequent ventilation of premises.

Students will remain in school, will not be put on vacation or remote education. The reason is that there is no alarming absentee rate. In the region, the absentee rate is between 8% and 12%, and in the city of Pleven it's between 15% and 20%, which is below the critical 30%, Minchev explained.

To date, the incidence of influenza and acute respiratory diseases in the region is 2.7%.