With just 15% fully jabbed, Bulgaria is giving away vaccine shots

ON THE MORNINGEU of August 10th the head of public health for Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, announced various restrictions on restaurants and entertainment venues to curb a surge of covid-19. A few hours later the national ministry of health said no such thing would happen, calling the announcement a bureaucratic mistake. Chaotic messaging is just one reason why Bulgaria has seen so much death during the pandemic, and is bracing for more.Among 84 countries tracked by Bulgaria ranks second (after Peru) on excess deaths per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic, meaning deaths above the usual rate. After a summer lull, cases are rising again as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads. Hospitals are preparing for yet another onslaught. Only 15% of Bulgarians are fully vaccinated, the lowest rate in the , where the overall share is 52%.