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As the COVID metrics in Bulgaria are worsening, Health Minister Stoicho Katsarov Tuesday said that new anti-epidemic measures need not be taken in the coming days. The Minister was speaking after a meeting of Parliament's Budget and Finance Committee, BTA reported.

The regions of Burgas and Veliko Turnovo are already in the red zone for COVID with over 250 infections per 100,000 population. Those regions will impose epidemic-control measures recommended by Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev.

A decision when, if and to what extent measures will be implemented nationwide will be based on expert opinion, said Katsarov.
1891 new COVID-19 cases reported

Some experts predict that the current COVID wave will be milder than the earlier ones because 15-16 per cent of Bulgarians are fully vaccinated and a considerable proportion of people have encountered the virus. This gives grounds to expect that the current wave will pass more quickly and with a lower incidence rate than the previous ones.

The Health Ministry quoted Deputy Minister Alexander Zlatanov as saying that tighter restrictions need not be introduced in Sofia for now. Zlatanov, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova and Senior Commissioner Marian Bilalov, deputy head of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior, discussed compliance with the restrictions in Sofia.

People should comply with the measures in place now: face masks in indoor public settings and in public transport, disinfection and distancing, said Zlatanov. Vaccination is the other major step in fighting the coronavirus, he added.

The Sofia Mayor asked the police to provide more teams working with the inspectors of the Urban Mobility Centre to step up control over compliance with the safety measures. Sofia Municipality is ready to launch a public information campaign on the benefits of COVID vaccination.

As of Tuesday, the Health Ministry and volunteers of the Bulgarian Red Cross are handing out leaflets about the benefits of vaccination in various cities and towns. 
 
NOVA