Covid-19: Illegal party at restaurant in Bulgaria’s capital bust

Three days before restaurants in Bulgaria are being allowed to re-open, customers at a restaurant in Sofia where an illegal party was being held barricaded themselves in when police arrived, television station bTV reported on February 27.

There were more than 40 people inside the restaurant, the report said.

A bTV team arrived outside the restaurant at about 9pm on February 26. The official entrance was closed, but several luxury cars were parked near the back entrance.

The team phoned Sofia’s regional health inspectorate, but no one picked up, however three police vans arrived swiftly and dozens of officers barred the entrances.

After midnight, the customers who had barricaded themselves in asked to leave. Some managed to evade police, but most were issued fines for breaking Health Ministry rules against the spread of Covid-19.

The report said that the economic crimes squad had begun an investigation of the restaurant. According to bTV, the owner of the restaurant was contacted, but declined to comment.

The bust at the restaurant is one of a number that have happened in Sofia and elsewhere since restaurants were ordered closed at the end of November. An order by Health Minister Kostadin Angelov allows restaurants and entertainment venues to re-open as of March 1.

(Archive photo: Manu Mohan/freeimages.com)

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