Bulgaria: 10-day tougher measures from March 22, including closing restaurants

Against a background of sharply rising Covid-19 figures in Bulgaria, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov announced that as of March 22, there will be 10 days of tougher measures countrywide, including shutting restaurants and closing shopping malls, although some services in them will be allowed to continue.

Visits to all restaurants and entertainment establishments are suspended, while deliveries to homes and offices will be allowed.

At hotels, owners must arrange for guests to be served in their rooms.

Gambling halls and casinos are closed.

Visits to all retail outlets offering non-food items that have a net retail area of more than 300 square metres are suspended, with an exception for food shops.

In shopping centres and malls, all shops must close, with exceptions for shops selling food, medical services, pharmacies, drugstores, opticians, pet shops, banks, insurance services, payment service providers, dry cleaners, telecommunications services and communication service providers.

Also prohibited are congresses, conferences, seminars, competitions, training sessions, team building, exhibitions and all other in-person public events.

Visits to fitness centres and group exercise halls are suspended.

Cinemas, museums, galleries, concert and dance halls are suspended.

Private celebrations such as weddings and baptisms may not be attended by more than 15 people.

Spectators are banned from all collective and individual sports events.

Group tourist trips, organised excursions and visits to tourist sites are suspended.

Pupils from the first to the 12th grades will be on distance learning.

Angelov called on politicians, ahead of the April 4 parliamentary elections, not to politicise the Covid-19 situation and to show by their actions that they care for the Bulgarian people.

He said that his order detailing the anti-epidemic measures would be issued “by the end of the day”.

(Photo: Lance Nelson of order.bg)

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