Sofia, Dec 7 (IANS): Bulgaria currently accounts for the second highest coronavirus death rate in the European Union (EU) at 27.3 per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days as the country's health system is already on the brink of collapse, official data revealed.

"The (health) system is overwhelmed and that's why such incidents occur," Xinhua news agency quoted Katya Sungarska, a spokesperson for the Centre for Emergency Medical Services here, as saying on Sunday.

She added that the system "cannot respond the way it should".

The spokesperson further said that the country should have 80 emergency teams to cover the population adequately.

However, the number now stands at 15-17 for each 12-hour shift.

Bulgaria recorded 2,037 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 160,844, according to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The death toll stands at 4,797.

Infections and deaths have more than doubled in the last three weeks, and in the last week of November alone, it has reported over 20,000 new cases, according to the disease prevention centre.

In a bid to stop the upward trend, the Balkan country last week extended social restrictions until December 21, and the nationwide pandemic emergency until January 31, 2021.

Across Europe, Slovenia has the highest Covid-19 mortality rate at 28.2 per 100,000 fatalities over the past 14 days.