Covid-19: Bulgaria extends epidemic declaration to end of September

Bulgaria’s Cabinet decided on August 26 to extend the Covid-19 epidemic declaration that took effect in mid-May until the end of September. The proposal was tabled by Health Minister Kostadin Angelov.

In a statement, the government’s media service said that the extension would “allow to continue implementation of anti-epidemic measures in society and preventing the overload of the healthcare system ahead of the next flu season.”

The statement made no mention of any additional anti-epidemic restrictions being imposed alongside the extension of the epidemic declaration.

Bulgaria declared a State of Emergency on March 13 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This continued until May 13, when it was succeeded by an epidemic declaration, which repeatedly has been extended.

The extension of the epidemic declaration was necessary despite the “improving situation” in recent weeks, Bulgaria’s chief state health inspector Angel Kunchev told public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television earlier in the day.

“The epidemic declaration is necessary when the conditions call for it. The situation in Europe is not improving much. Thankfully, in the past two weeks it has improved in Bulgaria,” he said.

“If the process remains stable and the downward trend holds, we can think about not extending beyond the end of September. Currently, there is no data for improvement on the scale that would allow us to end the epidemic state of emergency,” Kunchev said.

(Image: pixabay)

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