Bulgaria’s hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 infection surge

by VESELIN TOSHKOV
Associated Press

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Medical workers at Bulgaria’s main emergency hospital are waging an uphill battle as a surge in coronavirus cases has overwhelmed the country’s ailing health care system. Following a relatively quiet summer, the Balkan country has been hit hard after it failed to take tighter containment measures. Bulgaria’s health woes have been compounded due to a prolonged political crisis that has left the country without a regular government since last spring. Bulgarian health officials blame public mistrust in vaccines and the government — just 1 in 4 adults is fully vaccinated — for the country’s virus predicament. On Friday, more than 7,553 people were in Bulgarian COVID-19 wards, including 656 in intensive care. More than 90% of the patients were not vaccinated.