site.btaBulgarians Advised against Travelling to China amidst Corona Virus Outbreak

Sofia, February 1 (BTA) - An alert level 4 has been declared on Saturday, warning Bulgarians against travelling to China, Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said after a meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov amidst the corona virus outbreak in China.

Bulgarians who are not in China are urged to refrain from travelling there. The warning is valid for both Bulgarian citizens who are currently in Bulgaria and those abroad, she explained.

A series of measures have been set for protecting Bulgarians' health. There is readiness to declare a level 5 alert next week, which would ban travelling to China altogether, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister said.

The meeting with Borissov was attended by Health Minister Kiril Ananiev, Interior Minister Mladen Marinov and representative of the responsible bodies monitoring the developments surrounding the corona virus outbreak.

Every citizen of China or any other country, who has been in China or in high-risk countries where the corona virus has been spreading, will be subjected to a detailed medical exam and monitoring upon arrival in Bulgaria, Health Minister Ananiev explained. Bulgarians who have been to high-risk regions will also be subject to such measures. All of them will go through thermal camera inspections at the airports in Sofia, Varna and Bourgas, and if the passenger is found to have a fever or any flu symptoms, they will be directed to nearby hospitals for further medical observation. Those without symptoms will be quarantined at home for 14 days, during which theirs and their families' medical condition will be monitored by their physicians.

The necessary protective materials, such as aprons, gloves, face masks and hats, have been ensured for border police officers and the health care authorities. The test kits necessary for detecting the new corona virus have also been provided, Ananiev explained.

Interior Minister Marinov urged Bulgarians to treat this threat seriously and to comply with police orders.

EU health ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels at the start of next week o discuss the situation and the measures for limiting the spread of the new corona virus in the EU, Zaharieva and Ananiev said. Regardless of this, the Bulgarian Government is taking urgent measures prior to the meeting, the Health Minister added. MY