Bulgaria adds more countries to red zone list, changes rules for arrival of children
Bulgaria has lengthened its list of foreign countries classified as Covid-19 red zones and changed the rules for the arrival in the country of children aged from 12 to 18, in an order issued by Health Minister Assena Serbezova that takes effect on January 19.
From that date, children in that age group will be admitted to the country on presentation of a negative result of a PCR test done up to 72 hours before arrival.
This must be certified by a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate for testing or an equivalent or similar document.
If they do not present such a document, they will placed in 10-day quarantine. The quarantine may be terminated if the person undergoes a PCR test no earlier than 72 hours after arriving in Bulgaria.
Covid-19 documents are not required for children under 12 years of age, regardless of the country of origin.
As of January 19, Bulgaria has added to its list of red zone countries Austria, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Hungary, Luxembourg, the State of Israel, Kuwait, Grenada, Greenland, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Guyana.
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. (the green, orange and red zone lists in that November 26 order are amended by the January 14 order).
The full list of red zone countries and territories is Australia, Austria, Afghanistan, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, Grenada, Greenland, Georgia, Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Ecuador, Eswatini, Israel, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Canada, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Switzerland, Guyana, North Korea, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Curacao, Lesotho, Lebanon, Bolivia, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, Aruba, Argentina, Botswana, Guatemala, Greece, El Salvador, Estonia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Cuba, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, the Republic of North Macedonia, Seychelles, Surinam, Serbia, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Finland, Chile, South Africa, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United States, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Germany, Brazil, Saint Kitts and Nevis, France, Croatia, Montenegro and the Czech Republic.
Classified as green zones are Vatican City State and Romania.
A country neither in the red zone nor the green zone is classified as an orange zone.
The list of those arriving from a red zone country who may be admitted to Bulgaria includes Bulgarian citizens and people with permanent or long-term residence, citizens of the EU, the EEA, Switzerland and the UK.
They must present a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate or equivalent or similar document, together with a negative result of a PCR test done up to 72 hours before arriving in Bulgaria.
If they do not present these documents, they must go into 10-day quarantine.
If they present only one of these documents, they must go into 10-day quarantine, which may be lifted if they present a negative result of a PCR test done no earlier than 72 hours after arrival. The quarantine is lifted from the date of registration of the result in the national information system.
(Photo: Sofia Airport)
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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