Bulgaria’s government proposes extension of the coronavirus state of emergency

Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers on April 1 decided to propose to the Parliament to extend the state of emergency to 13 May 2020.

The state of emergency was initially introduced for one month. It was approved by Bulgaria’s Parliament on March 13 as a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus.

Bulgaria is putting all possible efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection, and the dimensions of the crisis cannot yet be assessed and predicted. The pressure on the health system can only be reduced by extending the time limits and measures for social distancing and combating the pandemic in order to effectively manage it. These actions are also confirmed by the data and recommendations of the National Coronavirus Task Force, which was established by order of the Prime Minister.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the European Union / European Economic Area and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has increased sharply in the recent days, exceeding almost five times the epidemic rate in China and three times the umber of cases in the United States. This places Europe in the position of being the most affected continent by the new coronavirus. Based on data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the risk of widespread COVID-19 prevalence in the last week is estimated to be moderate for the community and very high for the at-risk population - people over 60 and those with chronic illnesses.

The risk would remain moderate over the coming weeks only if rigorous and effective anti-epidemic measures were implemented in the individual EU Member States. The expert opinion shows that in the next few weeks, Member States' health systems will reach their maximum capacity utilization. For this reason, the Council of Ministers proposes to the Parliament to extend the state of emergency in the country.

The draft government decision proposing an extension of the state of emergency was tabled by the Minister of Health as an additional item at today's Council of Ministers meeting.