Cabinet proposes adoption of state of emergency due to coronavirus

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Thursday night at 22.00 convened an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers jointly with the National Coronavirus task force to coordinate and organize the actions of the competent state authorities regarding the public health emergency of international importance declared by the WHO regarding the disease COVID-19.

Borissov said it was proposed to introduce a state of emergency because of the coronavirus. He expressed expectations that Parliament would support the cabinet's proposal. Travels from Bulgaria to other countries are prohibited. If the situation persists, financial losses of up to 3 billion BGN could be expected, the prime minister said.

The magnitude of damage to the global economy will at times exceed the losses of the 2008 economic crisis. Budgets are not replenished. Consumption is falling sharply, Borissov said.

A clinical pathway for the coronavirus is envisaged to let doctors know what remuneration they will receive for their work.

Medicine students in the last year of their study will also be involved in the fight against coronavirus for a fee.

Night clubs and bars are foreseen to close to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus.

Wherever possible, universities and schools should switch to distance learning.

The task force presented a report on the measures taken by the EU member states, detailing the incidence and its consequences in all aspects.

Earliertoday, the country reported 16 new cases of coronavirus, thus making the total confirmed cases 23, including the woman who died on March 11.