Covid-19: Bulgaria adds 14 European countries to red list of travel restrictions
Bulgaria’s caretaker Health Minister Stoicho Katsarov issued an order, late on November 19, amending the list of foreign countries classified respectively as red, orange or green zones according to their Covid-19 situations. The changes take effect as of November 23.
In the latest order, 14 European countries were added to the list of red zone countries and territories – Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Poland and Switzerland.
Not mentioned in the statement but included in the red list in the order were also Afghanistan and North Korea.
Four countries were reclassified from green to orange zones: Finland, France, Monaco and Portugal. Moldova was moved from the red list to orange list.
The Bulgarian Health Ministry’s current criteria for classifying a country as a Covid-19 red, orange or green zone may be found in English here (that older order’s list of countries is now out of date). These classifications determine the rules for entry to Bulgaria.
The same order establishes a list of countries whose Covid-19 vaccination, testing and disease certificates are considered equivalent to the EU Digital Covid certificate.
The list includes North Macedonia, San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican City State (only in respect of issued vaccination certificates), Andorra, Faroe Islands, Monaco, Panama, Morocco, Israel, Armenia and the United Kingdom.
Katsarov’s order on November 19 also allows persons entering the country under the condition that they go into quarantine to have the quarantine lifted if they have a negative antigen or PCR test by the end of the next day. Previously, the quarantine could be lifted only if they had a negative PCR test within 24 hours of entering Bulgaria.
The full list of green zone countries is Vatican City State, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Malta and Sweden.
Countries listed neither as red or green zones are regarded as orange zones.
Red zone countries are Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Seychelles, Namibia, Zambia, Oman, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, North Korea, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Suriname, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Barbados, Singapore, Brunei, the United Kingdom, Georgia, Armenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Ukraine, Austria, Netherlands, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Germany, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Poland and Switzerland.
(Sofia Airport. Photo: Apostoloff)
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The Sofia Globe’s coverage of the Covid-19 situation in Bulgaria is supported by the Embassies of Switzerland and Finland.
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