site.btaGovernment Extends Emergency Epidemic Situation until April 30, Restaurants Reopen on March 1

Sofia, January 26 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Government Tuesday 
decided to extend the emergency epidemic situation by three 
months until April 30. The decision was adopted at an 
extraordinary cabinet meeting called by Prime Minister Boyko 
Borissov, the Government Information Service said.

The Prime Minister tasked the Health Minister with issuing an 
order that would state clearly the schedule for a gradual 
relaxation of the anti-epidemic restrictions.

Regarding restaurants and night clubs, Borissov tasked the 
Health Minister with holding a meeting with the branch's 
representatives to discuss possible solutions.

The Prime Minister was informed that the government's support 
for job retention and for businesses amounts to nearly 2 billion
  leva since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures 
funded by the Labour and Social Policy Ministry have helped 
preserve 300,000 jobs and prevent unemployment from doubling. As
  a result, at the end of last year the unemployment rate was
the  lowest since the end of the state of emergency in May 2020,
 and  it is still below 7 per cent at present.
 
Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev refuted recent 
speculation concerning the Government's priorities. "Since there
  has been speculation about what is a priority and what is not:
  everything is a priority for us. Each enterprise is a priority
 for us, each employed person is a priority for us. And if
restrictions are imposed somewhere, it is not because we are
disparaging any sector. This is [done] only when one's work is
in conflict with healthcare and creates risks for health and 
life," Donchev is quoted as saying at the cabinet meeting.

Restaurants reopen on March 1

Later on Tuesday, the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association
 (BHRA) said its deputy chairmen Zlatko Zlatanov, Branimir
Milanov and Atanas Dimitrov met with Health Minister Kostadin
Angelov and reached an agreement that restaurants will reopen on
 March 1. Until then, they will receive the compensations
promised by the Government, Zlatanov explained.

Unless the epidemic situation worsens significantly, night bars
and clubs will reopen on March 14, the Health Minister said as
quoted by the BHRA.
 
It also emerge from the meeting that the food and drink
establishments closed by order of the Health Minister will
receive all due compensations within days.

Minister Angelov promised to assist for subsequent meetings with
 Prime Minister Borissov, Labour and Social Policy Minister
Denitsa Sacheva, and Finance Minister Kiril Ananiev to discuss
the sector's economic demands: an increase of the staff
compensations in February to 100 per cent of the contributory
income; compensations for the establishments' owners of 30 per
cent of their turnover; timely payment of the compensations
within the calendar month for which the application is
submitted; easier application and payment of the compensations;
a hotline for communication with businesses; a response to the
questions raised within three working days; and an extension
until February 15 of the application deadline for the measure
providing 20 per cent of the affected business' turnover.

Later in the day, the Bulgarian Association of Food and Drink
Establishments and the Association of Bulgarian Food and Drink
Establishments said that they had not participated in the
meeting with Health Minister Angelov and had not agreed to
reopen restaurants on March 1.

The members of the two associations are adamant that this date
is unacceptable and still intend to stage a protest demanding to
 reopen on February 1. The associations call on all
representatives of affected businesses to support their protest,
 which is scheduled for January 27 in front of the Council of
Ministers' building.
 
Health Minister's orders

Late on Tuesday, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov issued an
order extending the epidemic emergency until April 30.

As of Friday, January 29, until April 30, all arrivals in
Bulgaria must show evidence of a negative PCR test taken in the
72 hours before departure.

Bulgarian citizens and persons with the status of permanent,
long-term or continued residence in the territory of Bulgaria
and their family members, who do not produce evidence of a
negative PCR test on arrival, must self-isolate for 10 days.

The requirement for a negative PCR test does not apply to
drivers of buses on international routes, international lorry
drivers, ship and aircraft crews, frontier workers and
in-transit travellers.

Another order allows students in Grades 5 to 12 to return to
school on February 4.
  
As of February 1, cinemas can reopen and art, dance and music
classes can resume at 30 per cent capacity and in compliance
with the physical distancing rule. Also, gyms can reopen at up
to 50 per cent capacity.

Until February 28, restaurants and cafes must remain closed
except for delivery and take-away. Restaurants in accommodation
establishments can stay open with the appropriate safeguards in
place as now.

As of March 1, restaurants and cafes can reopen. This does not
apply to discos, bars, clubs, piano bars and night bars.
 
As of February 1, shopping centres can reopen. Underage children
 must be accompanied by a parent or other adult person.

***

In a position released on Tuesday, the Bulgarian Medical 
Association (BMA) expresses firm support for the Health 
Minister's actions and calls for reasonable talk and 
constructive dialogue. The BMA also expresses concern about the
 increasing public pressure over the current anti-epidemic 
measures and their application.

Compared to the restrictions in the other European countries, 
those in Bulgaria are among the most liberal, the position 
reads. The BMA "understands that behind each closed business and
  behind each closed job position there are human fates, and
each  Bulgarian citizen should be convinced that the measures
being  taken are aimed solely at protecting people's lives and
health."

RY,NV/DS,DD