Sofia [Bulgaria], January 16: One day after flu epidemic measures were introduced in Bulgaria's Varna District for the first time this season, neighboring Dobrich District decided on Thursday to follow suit.
The measures in the northeastern Bulgarian region will be in effect from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23, local media reported.
During the five-day period, in-person classes in all schools will be suspended. Hospital visits, planned surgeries, child immunizations, and pediatric consultations will also be halted.
The decision was prompted by a sharp rise in the registered incidence rate, which reached 207 cases per 10,000 people in the Jan. 5-11 week, compared with 47 cases per 10,000 in the previous week.
Bulgaria's Chief Health Inspector Angel Kunchev told reporters on Wednesday that the country was on the verge of a flu epidemic, with infection rates also rising in regions such as Silistra, Burgas, Yambol, Haskovo and Pernik.
According to Kunchev, the positive sign is that the epidemic wave is subsiding as quickly as it is growing. He said he expects the situation to normalize in most regions by February.
Source: Qatar Tribune
