site.btaHealth Minister, National Task Force Propose Keeping Antiepidemic Measures until January 31

Sofia, December 16 (BTA) - The current antiepidemic measures,
introduced on November 27, will be extended until January 31,
2021, except for students in grades 1 through 4, kindergartens
and hotel restaurants, the Cabinet's press service reported here
 on Wednesday.

The proposal came from Health Minister Kostadin Angelov and
members of the national coronavirus task force during a working
meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. Last week, the Prime
 Minister asked the task force to draft a report on the
effectiveness of the antiepidemic measures in view of the
current coronavirus situation in Bulgaria.
    
The Health Minister reported that 18,907 people have recovered
from COVID-19 over the past week. He also pointed out that the
measures have allowed the incidence of coronavirus to drop below
 600 per 100,000 population, and there are no more black-coded
areas in Bulgaria where the incidence is over 1,000 per 100,000
inhabitants.

However, Bulgaria still ranks high in morbidity in the EU, and
still has the highest mortality rate in the Union, the press
release reads.

After a series of meetings with branch organizations and
competent authorities, the Health Minister recommended to the
Prime Minister that all currently active measures be kept until
January 31, 2021, instead of December 21, 2020, with the
following exceptions: students in grades 1 through 4 can resume
in-class attendance, and nursery schools and kindergartens will
reopen as of January 4; galleries, museums, cinemas and theaters
 will reopen on January 1 at reduced seating capacity; hotel
restaurants can reopen at 50 per cent capacity for hotel guests
only and until 10:00 pm.

Prime Minister Borissov said that an extension of the measures
until January 31, 2021 will require an additional 250 million
leva in temporary compensations for the businesses that are
closed or restricted.

The final details of the proposed measures and time frames will
be announced on Thursday at the regular briefing of the Health
Minister and the task force, Cabinet's press service said.
NV/MT