Photo: iStock
The epidemic emergency has been extended by two months until January 31, 2021
Bulgaria's Council of Ministers imposed what can be described as a 'soft lockdown' in the country for the period from November 27 until December 21, 2020.
Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said that the epidemic emergency has been extended by two months until January 31, 2021.
4382 new COVID-19 cases reported
The new restrictions include suspension of in-person attendance of kindergartens, creches, schools and universities and discontinuing extracurricular activities for all age groups and the operation of training centres. All congresses, conferences, seminars, trainings and other public, cultural and entertainment events will be cancelled. Private parties will be limited to 15 persons. Athletes under 18 will be barred from competing and practising except in international competitions that are already underway. Sports events involving adult competitors will take place without an audience. Gambling halls and casinos, fitness gyms, food-service and amusement establishments will be closed, and restaurants will be permitted to make home or office deliveries only. All package tours using organized transport and group visits to tourist sights will be discontinued. Shopping malls will be closed except for food stores, pharmacies, opticians, pet shops, and bank, insurer, courier and telecom offices. Convenience stores will not be closed. Theatres may function at up to 30 per cent seat occupancy and 1.5 metres physical distances between spectators.
Churches, mosques and synagogues will remain open. There will be no curfew, and visiting parks and gardens will be allowed.
The new measures will take effect on Friday evening, and children will go to school and the retail outlets will be open during the day, Angelov explained. "Everything that is not covered in the order is allowed," he added.
The head of the National Coronavirus Task Force, Major General Prof. Dr Ventsislav Moutafchiiski, told that the new restrictions are imposed for three weeks because analyses show that such a period will bring the most benefit. "The idea is to slow down the infection rate, which is expected to happen by the end of the second week at the earliest. The lethality is expected to decline by the third week," Moutafchiiski added. He described these new measures as "strict but far more liberal than in the rest of Europe" and said they were triggered when the infection rate topped 600 per 100,000 population.
The Chief State Health Inspector, Assoc. Prof. Dr Angel Kunchev, specified that the purpose of the measures is to find the exact balance between safeguarding both healthcare and the economy. On a scale of 100, Bulgaria ranks between 70 and 75 in terms of the rigour of the new three-week restrictions, according to an Oxford University classification. Kunchev is convinced that both morbidity and lethality in Bulgaria will level off.
Economy Minister Lachezar Borisov said at the news briefing that an opportunity is being explored to redirect 156 million leva under Operational Programme Innovations and Competitiveness from two deferred measures to support for business to weather the new epidemic-control restrictions. The Bulgarian Development Bank has already received a go-ahead from the European Commission and as from Wednesday will start signing annexes to the agreements with partner banks on extending soft loans of up to 1 million leva to small and medium-sized enterprises and up to 2 million leva to large-size companies.
Labour and Social Policy Minister Denitsa Sacheva said that 60/40 and 80/20 job retention schemes remain in effect, as do the home care arrangements for quarantined people. Families with children under 14 who study online from home will be eligible for a targetеа allowance if the income per family member is equal to or less than 150 per cent of the minimum wage, i.e. 915 leva. The average monthly income per family member will be calculated on the amount earned during the month when the restrictions were imposed. People employed in economic activities suspended by an order of a state body who are covered by social insurance for an 8 hour working day will be paid a 24 leva compensation per day, according to a decree that the Government adopted on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in a Facebook post that, unlike March, the country will not be locked down now. He noted that Bulgaria's health and social systems are working despite the difficulties and the country is financially stable, which is acknowledged by all international agencies and institutions.
"I am convinced that only by standing side by side: doctors and nurses, health workers, teachers, scientists, law enforcers, statesmen, employees and retirees, young and all, all our society can cope, as we have on previous occasions," Borissov pointed out.
"After we give [the system] a breather and make a serious analysis of the data, once these three weeks are over, we will be able to afford a relaxation of the restriction so as to have a Christmas and New Year together with our close ones," the PM stressed, adding that after the vaccines arrive and we live over this crisis, we will be able to return to our normal everyday lives.
