Bulgaria's active COVID-19 cases hit record high

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Bulgaria surged to 96,797, a record high since the onset of the pandemic, the country's health ministry said Saturday morning, reported Xinhua.

According to the ministry, 5,256 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed across the country in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 598,199.

Meanwhile, the number of recoveries rose by 1,581 to 477,530, and the death toll went up from 23,718 to 23,872, the ministry said.

The ministry added that 7,680 patients are currently hospitalized, with 676 in intensive care units.

At the same time, 23,164 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of administered vaccines to about 2.85 million.

According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, only 25.5 percent of the adult population in Bulgaria have been fully vaccinated, ranking last in the European Union.

Bulgaria's authorities last week made the COVID-19 "Green Pass" mandatory for all adults who want access to a number of services, places and activities.

If the Green Pass measure fails, "the only alternative remains the introduction of a lockdown," Health Minister Stoycho Katsarov said Friday.