site.btaNumber of Coronavirus Cases in Bulgaria Rises to Six as Two More Patients Are Confirmed

March 10 (BTA) - Two more coronavirus cases were
confirmed in Bulgaria on Tuesday. The new patients are in the
capital Sofia. They were checked into the Pirogov Emergency
Hospital, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in a statement to
the media shortly after taking part in a European Council
videoconference on responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

This brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Bulgaria to
 six. The first four were reported in the northern towns of
Pleven and Gabrovo (two each).

During the videoconference of the EU leaders, it transpired that
 the member states are unanimously opposed to banning the export
 of medical equipment. Major European suppliers will be given 25
 billion euro as an incentive to make additional equipment.

Earlier in the day, the Military Medical Academy (MMA) Chief,
Major General Prof. Ventsislav Moutafchiiski MD, who heads the
national coronavirus task force, told the task  force's regular
news briefing that all 46 new samples analyzed at the MMA on
Tuesday have tested negative. Another 56 samples have yet to be
tested.

The eight samples from Pleven (North Central Bulgaria) and 
Gabrovo (Central Bulgaria) that were re-analysed as inconclusive
 at the National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases in
Sofia have tested negative for COVID-19, the MMA said in a press
  release on Tuesday.

Asked for comment on the effort to contain the infection,
President Radev said in Graf Ignatievo on Tuesday that it
requires pooling the efforts of all institutions and of the
public. In his opinion, yielding to panic and fear poses the
greater risk. He advised against letting the economy collapse.

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During the period March 12-23, the flights of Wizz Air from Vienna, Sofia and Varna, Budapest and Debrecen, Riga, Vilnius, Katowice, Krakow and Warsaw, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Sibiu and Timisoara, London Luton to Tel Aviv and Eilat will be cancelled, the carrier informed on Tuesday. Passengers who have booked their flights are informed well in advance and redirected via alternative routes.

***
By order of Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev, as of March 9, Prosecution office reception rooms will not be accessible to the general public. The measure aims to prevent the further spreading of the coronavirus epidemic.

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Court sessions on current cases all over Bulgaria will be suspended for a month because of the coronavirus, as decided by the Supreme Judicial Council. Court sessions will only take place on urgent cases or behind closed doors. The president judge of every court will decide whether or not to extend the preventive measure.

General court sessions for annual reports will also be suspended, as well as seminars, training sessions and examinations within the Judiciary. Access to all court buildings will be limited.

***
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs upped the risk index of travelling to Italy to level 4: a warning to cancel trips over the entire country (unless highly urgent), the ministry press service informed on Tuesday.

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In view of the epidemic situation in Bulgaria, the National Social Security Institute advises its clients to refrain from personal visits to its offices, except for urgent cases. All other services are available through letters, e-mails or the NSSI call centre at /0 700 14 802/.

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A scenario was enacted at the Council of Ministers in case the coronavirus spreads in Sofia. On entering the building, all journalists were checked with remote thermometers; they had to wash their hands with a special antibacterial gel, and were given the lowest class of respiratory masks to wear until leaving the building.

***
Two institutes with the Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAS) have developed mask models for general use to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus, said before journalists on Tuesday Associate Professor Yulian Revalski, head of the BAS.

One of the designs is based on activated charcoal filtering, and the other uses filters at the nano level.

***
Border Police intercepted an attempt to smuggle 7,850 medical masks out of Bulgaria, the Interior Ministry informed on Tuesday. The bust took place on Monday as part of an international Interpol operation. RY/MT



/МТ/