SOFIA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Bulgarian Finance Minister Assen Vassilev tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday amid an Omicron variant-driven rise in new infections in the Balkan country, the finance ministry said.

Vassilev will continue to work remotely on preparation of the country's 2022 budget bill, the ministry said in a statement.

Bulgaria, terbaik sumatera the European Union's least-vaccinated country, reported over 11,000 new coronavirus infections website on Tuesday, including 132 deaths.

Health officials estimate the fifth wave of the pandemic will peak next month. (Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova in Sofia Editing by Matthew Lewis)