This year the Holy Fire will not come from Jerusalem, there will be no willow twigs on Palm Sunday

These were the decisions reached today by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the Holy Synod regarding the measures that will be taken at Easter. Due to the epidemiological situation in the country and the fact that there is Holy Fire from last year, the Holy Synod advises that the flight to Tel Aviv be cancelled. The money earmarked for the flight with the government airplane should be used in the fight against Covid-19 and its spread, the Holy Synod proposes. The other decision of the church is that no willow twigs and flowers be handed out on Palm Sunday this year. Easter church services will take place in front of the churches and the clerics and church staff will use protective equipment. It is a fact that churches and monasteries have never been closed. Our priests are making an effort and all quarantine measures are being taken, they will all call for distancing, said Boyko Borissov, adding that only people in dire need should go to church. The interior ministry will be advised to make sure the recommendations are observed with tact and care.

7 new Covid-19 cases in Bulgaria on 9 April

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Bulgaria is now 618, the National Crisis Staff announced. Seven new cases have been registered. 230 of the patients are in hospital, 32 are in intensive care. 347 of the registered Covid-19 cases are men, 271 are women. The average age of the people with coronavirus is 48. There are no data of new Covid-19 deaths.

Peak of Covid-19 pandemic in Bulgaria is expected within 10-15 days

The peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Bulgaria is expected within 10 to 15 days, Premier Boyko Borissov said. Now is the time to show that we are a disciplined nation. If everything goes well during the Easter holidays (17-20 April) and there is enough self-discipline, we will be able to open the parks and the mountains near the big cities. That will enable people to take a breath of fresh air, Premier Borissov added.

We have prepared three options for the traditional military parade on the occasion of Saint George’s Day (May 6) depending on how the situation with the coronavirus epidemic will develop, Boyko Borissov further said.

It is too early to rely on collective immunity against Covid-19 in Bulgaria

The testing of 1,016 police officers, whose average age is 39 has been completed. 1,007 of them tested negative, 2 show indications of a fresh infection, and 7 (1 woman and 6 men) show indications of having encountered the virus and have antibodies, announced General Ventislav Mutafchiyski, head of the National Crisis Staff this morning. The results show that there is no active circulation of the virus in the country as yet, commented Chief Health Inspector Angel Kunchev. This means that the epidemic is under control and if the measures against the virus continue, there is a chance that the intensity of the spread will remain at very low levels. According to Kunchev, it is still too early to rely on any mass immunity and it is too early to reduce the weight of the physical distancing measures.

President Radev calls for manageability of crisis measures

The cabinet took clear and timely measures for social distancing. That is a very positive thing. The cabinet launched an active, even hyper-active awareness campaign, said President Rumen Radev. I am not criticizing the quarantine. I am calling for sufficient social measures. We have to set ourselves a clear national objective – how to exit these measures. I am not saying that we exit them now, I am saying that we must consider how to exit them so there will be no chaos. We are not talking about a date, we are talking about the criteria that have to be observed, said President Rumen Radev in an interview for bTV in which he answered viewers’ questions.

Interactive map of “green corridors” passing across Bulgaria available online

An interactive map of the “green corridors” for the transit passage of goods across the territory of Bulgaria is available online. It provides information about the rest areas along the routes and what they offer. There is a link to the map on the website of the Road Infrastructure Agency as well as of BGToll. The “green corridors” pass along routes of the European road network. They connect the border checkpoints Kalotina with Kapitan Andreevo and Kapitan Petko Voivoda, Danube Bridge 2 with Kulata, Danube Bridge-Ruse with Kapitan Andreevo and Kapitan Petko Voivoda.

Normal operation of hospitals to be gradually restored after Easter holidays

Creating “green corridors” in medical establishments after Easter was discussed at a meeting with the Bulgarian Medical Association, General Ventislav Mutafchiyski announced.  We do not know how long we shall be fighting the coronavirus and hospitals have to adapt so that every Bulgarian citizen may be given comprehensive assistance, said the head of the National Crisis Staff.

Over three-quarters of Bulgarians approve of the actions of the authorities during the Covid-19 crisis, 69% are afraid of getting infected

77% of the Bulgarians say that this country’s government is coping well with the Covid-19 crisis and 22% of the respondents voice the opposite opinion, a sociological survey conducted by Gallup International on April 6 and 7 shows. One month ago, 60% of the respondents approved the actions of the Bulgarian authorities and 37% disagreed with them. 22% of the respondents say they have lost part of their incomes, the latest survey further reads. 14% of the respondents say they were temporarily suspended from work and 8% of the respondents say they are working less hours. 9% of the respondents answered that they have lost their jobs, compared to only 3% a week ago. At the beginning of the state of emergency 62% said they were afraid of the coronavirus infection, almost a month later this percentage is 69. 27% say they are not afraid of the virus and 55% think that the danger is exaggerated.

Outgoing tourism tour operators hit hardest by crisis

Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova stated that around 300,000 Bulgarians have made travel reservations for trips abroad over the 13 March -1 June period. The numbers clearly show that the Covid-19 crisis has affected mostly tour operators catering to the so-called outgoing tourism. According to surveys by tourist organizations, the staff of half of the tour operators have taken paid or unpaid leave. Others intend to dismiss employees if the crisis continues much longer. Only around 10% have been able to retain a large part of their staff, Minister Angelkova said, adding that she hoped Bulgaria would be able to have a late summer season this year.

Word Bank forecasts that Bulgaria’s economy will plunge into recession in 2020

The Bulgarian economy will plunge into recession due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on exports and domestic activity, the Europe and Central Asia Spring Economic Update of the World Bank reads. Bulgaria’s GDP is expected to decline by 3.7% in 2020. However, the 2021 forecast of the World Bank reads that this country’s economy will mark a 3.9% growth. The World Bank calls for decisive policy measures in support of the most-vulnerable groups and sectors, in order to mitigate the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bulgaria mobilizes scientific potential against Covid-19

Bulgaria is looking for ways to reopen an institute specialized in the production of tests which was closed down in 2001. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov stated that it was one of the top three institutes in the world. The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Microbiology is currently working on a Bulgarian coronavirus vaccine. The project is partially financed by Institut Pasteur in Paris but is still at an early stage and far from clinical testing yet, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Penka Petrova, Director of the Institute of Microbiology.

Bulgarian Red Cross Youth recruits medical students as volunteers to join the fight against Covid-19

The Bulgarian Red Cross Youth has announced that at the initiative of the Ministry of Health it is launching a campaign to recruit volunteers among medical students to participate in the efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Including an additional resource of volunteer students is expected to result in better preparedness to react if the current epidemiological situation worsens. The campaign is supported by the National Assembly of Students’ Councils of Bulgaria and the Association of Medical Students in Bulgaria.

U.S. Ambassador Herro Mustafa: Bulgarian medical workers and volunteers show remarkable strength

US Ambassador to Bulgaria Herro Mustafa congratulated the Bulgarian medical specialists and volunteers who have shown remarkable strength and resilience during this difficult period. United Against COVID-19 Fund, launched by the US Embassy in Sofia together with America for Bulgaria Foundation, the American Chamber of Commerce and the Bulgarian Donors Forum, has already raised over BGN 800,000 (around EUR 400,000 ), to be allocated for fighting the crisis to local hospitals, culture community centers, civic organizations and social enterprises across the country.