Will President Radev be quarantined as a Covid-19 contact person?

Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev cut short his visit to Estonia and returned with his delegation to Sofia Airport on October 20.

The Estonian President announced today that she had received information that Radev had had contact with COVID infected person before arriving in the country and that is why his programme for the day was cancelled. According to BNT sources, the person infected with the coronavirus is the head of the Bulgarian Air Force.

The presidential administration later said the head of state "had no contact with a person with a positive coronavirus test at the time."

There is still no confirmation from the presidency whether Rumen Radev has been placed in quarantine, but the health minister said today that the President falls within the scope of Covid-19 contact persons and according to the requirements of the Order he should be quarantined.

The Chief of the Air Force, Major General Dimitar Petrov, was with the President, the Minister of Defense Krassimir Karakachanov and the Chief of Staff of the Defense at a public event on Friday. He then felt unwell, had a coronavirus test and tested positive. According to the Minister of Health, all these persons were notified on Sunday that the test was positive.

The President's plane landed at Sofia Airport around 6:00 p.m.this evening. Shortly after landing, Radev showed his negative test, made yesterday in Estonia, and said that he felt great.

The chronology of the events:

President Rumen Radev cut short his visit to Estonia after on October 19, at a symbolic ceremony in Tallinn, he took over from his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid the hosting of the 2021 Three Seas Regional Initiative.

A meeting between the two heads of state was scheduled for today, but did not take place.

On her Facebook page, Kersti Kaljulaid wrote that Radev was in contact with a person diagnosed with coronavirus.

The President of Estonia added that after the information arrived in Estonia, all necessary measures were taken and the Bulgarian delegation was isolated in the hotel.

Today, the press office of the Bulgarian head of state issued a statement saying that he had no contact with a person with a positive test result for coronavirus. It is also stated that upon his arrival in Tallinn, he passed a PCR test, which was negative and the Bulgarian delegation was not quarantined.

The Minister of Health had to explain the situation.

"What we know at this stage is that on October16, Friday, he was in contact with Gen. Petrov, and on October 18, Gen. Petrov tested positive for coronavirus. "From the information we have, we know that the President was informed by the chief of defense Emil Eftimov," minister Kostadin Angelov explained.

On October 16, Head of State Rumen Radev was at the Air Force holiday with Air Force Commander Major General Dimitar Petrov, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 two days later. The celebrations were also attended by the Minister of Defense Krassimir Karakachanov and the Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov. Their tests are negative, but they remain quarantined.

"Today the test result was ready. It is negative for Covid-19. In fact, it's about the contacts we had with General Petrov, Commander of the Air Force, during the Air Force holiday last week. This made me self-isolate for a few days unitl I underwent a test, which proved to be negative," Minister Karakachanov explained to BNT by phone.

The Minister of Health explained the steps after the head of state’s arrival in Sofia.

The moment President Radev lands, he falls within the scope of the Order as a Covid-19 contact person. He will be quarantined, he will be offered a PCR test at the airport and until the test results come out, he will be quarantined," Angelov added.

Upon landing in Bulgaria, the head of state described the situation as a campaign against him.

"I would like to thank my benefactors in Bulgaria, who, deeply concerned about my health, the health of my counterparts, my international appearances, were in a hurry behind my back to present to the Estonian side their version of contact with COVID-19. For me this is an example of a campaign against me," the President commented.

Radev also denied having been quarantined while in Tallinn.

"Contrary to speculation, neither I, nor my delegation, nor you, you know best, have been quarantined in Estonia. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, I have been in constant contact with thousands of people, all over the country, but I strictly follow all anti-epidemic measures. And I have not had a problem and I do not have one now. In less than a week I have had two tests. On Tuesday when going to Greece, I had the first, and yesterday, I had the second one in Estonia. Both tests are negative," Radev was categoric.

Journalists received a report that the President's tests were negative.

A team of the Regional Health Inspectorate met the delegation on the flight landing around 18:00 in Sofia. Everyone from the delegation was asked to take a test at the airport immediately. Only four agreed. Two of them are the BNT team, which returned today.