Covid-19: Restaurant owners threaten to protest at new closures

Owners of restaurants and bars on July 29 announced their readiness to protest if there is a new closure of their sites.

In mid-July, the so-called “traffic light system” was adopted, which regulates entry into the territory of Bulgaria.

"Unfortunately, it does not take into account the higher number of vaccinated, does not take into account that risk groups are vaccinated, does not take into account that the health system is better prepared and has set that restaurants and bars should close if the daily Covid-19 cases are about 1,000," the chairman of the Varna Tourist Chamber, Ilin Dimitrov, said.

The industry is dissatisfied that these decisions have not been agreed with them and are ready for protests.

"Factories, plants, public transport, shops, etc., everything is working normally, but restaurants are closed. We are firmly against it!", said the vice-president of the Association of Restaurants, Marin Sotirov.

The owners of restaurants are also against the introduction of mandatory vaccination for staff and their customers.

The business should not bear the health responsibility for people, whether they will be vaccinated or not," Sotirov added.

"The problem is not in restaurants for sure. Anyone who doesn't want to go to restaurants shouldn't go," a member of the public commented.

The data show that after the first state of emergency, 8% of restaurants have not opened at all, and tourism staff are now moving to other sectors that are not subject to closure due to the pandemic. The industry insists that if new restrictions are reached, the state should encourage workers in tourism to stay in their jobs.