Domestic tourism in Bulgaria will be restored on May 13

Domestic tourism in Bulgaria will be restored on May 13 when the state of emergency is lifted. It will begin with the gradual opening of guest houses and small hotels in compliance with the sanitary measures. However, it is not clear yet when Bulgaria will start welcoming foreign tourists, this country’s Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Television. The beaches along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast are being prepared to welcome tourists. The possibility to resume flights after June 15 is currently being discussed in Europe, Minister Angelkova pointed out.

Book in Bulgaria campaign in support of Bulgaria’s tourism begins

The national campaign in support of Bulgaria’s tourism named “Book in Bulgaria” begins. The campaign presenting various opportunities for holidays and tourism in Bulgaria goes online on the website www.bgtourism.bg from today until May 10. Nearly 150 participants-hotels, tourist attractions, tourist sites and companies working in the tourism field will present their products. The information is available in Bulgarian, Russian and English.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Bulgaria reached 1,872

7 new cases of Covid-19 were reported today in Bulgaria- 1 in Plovdiv, 1 in Kardzhali, 1 in Kyustendil, 1 in Razgrad and 3 in Sofia. The total number of Covid-19 cases in this country reached 1,872, data of the National Crisis Headquarters by 5pm on May 8 show.

379 people diagnosed with coronavirus infection were admitted to hospital, of whom 49 are in intensive-care units. 201 medics tested positive for Covid-19 until now, which is 11% of all Covid-19 cases in Bulgaria. The average age of the people diagnosed with Covid-19 is 48 years.

The Covid-19 death toll reached 86. A total of 401 Bulgarians recovered from Covid-19.

Ninety two-year old man recovered from Covid-19 in Sofia-based hospital

After one month of treatment, the ninety two-year old patient managed to recover from the virus and today he was discharged from the Military Medical Academy in Sofia, the medics announced on the hospital’s official Facebook page. Grandpa Todor has extremely strong spirit and is part of the statistics of Europe’s oldest patients who recovered from Covid-19, the doctors note.

Regional governor of Vidin asks for help aainst Covid-19

The crisis with Covid-19 in Vidin continues to be very severe as the District Governor Momchil Stankov has asked for assistance, including from the army. Of the 450 staff at the district hospital, 43 have tested positive for coronavirus. 

Stankov asked the National Operational Headquarters, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Defence for immediate assistance in disinfecting the hospital. 

Bulgaria's Chief State Health Inspector, Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev, who is a member of the National Operational Headquarters, pointed out to the Bulgarian National Radio that there is a big epidemic difference in the different regions of the country. In the region of Vidin, the incidence is pronounced, while in Targovishte district still no cases have been detected despite the tests, Kunchev said.

Passengers using Sofia’s public transport without wearing face masks will be subject to sanctions

Teams of inspectors and Police officers begin mass inspections for wearing of masks in vehicles of Sofia’s public transport. Passengers without face masks will be sanctioned, the Director of the Urban Mobility Center Dimitar Dilchev said in an interview for Nova TV. On May 11 (Monday) the public transport in Sofia returns to its normal schedule.

Bulgaria’s Parliament adopts at first reading amendments to Health Act

Bulgaria's Minister of Health is to determine anti-epidemic measures by legal decree. This is to be done at the suggestion of the Chief State Sanitary Inspector and the regional health inspectors, new amendments to the Health Act envisage. The texts were not supported only by the left-wing BSP opposition whose MP abstained. According to the socialists, the introduction of a  "sanitary emergency regime" has no constitutional basis. The amendments to the Health Act envisage that the social and economic measures will continue functioning after May 13 when the state of emergency will be lifted.

Roma activists accuse MEP Dzhambazki of discrimination

Roma activists are to file a complaint to the Commission for Protection Against Discrimination over a statement of MEP Angel Dzhambazki. Their discontent is caused by a video message published in the social networks where the Bulgarian MEP insists that Police checkpoints are set up again in the residential districts populated with Roma people, because “the inhabitants of these neighborhoods are potential carriers of the infection”. The activists called on Angel Dzhambazki to apologize publicly to the Romani people in Bulgaria.

Court decision expected over Bulgarians flown back from France

The lawyer of the Bulgarian seasonal workers which were returned from France, Quentin Décamps, expects to receive the decision of the court of first instance on May 8 on the appeal of the Bulgarians against their non-admission to French territory. 

In an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio, Décamps said that access to Bulgarian citizens cannot be denied, given that Bulgaria is a member of the EU. Another part of his claim is that the group of Bulgarians was placed in special conditions - they had to wait in something between a hotel and a prison. Their phones were confiscated, they did not have internet. This is a violation of human rights. It can be said that the conditions were humiliating. "We are not talking about criminals, but about people who came in France to work, but were deprived of various rights and freedoms without deserving it", the French defender commented.

 Compliled by Diana Tsankva and Radio Bulgaria’s news team 

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