Bulgarian authorities come into conflict over COVID-19 restrictions

Bulgarian health authorities are proposing a serious tightening of restrictions at the start of the fourth wave of the pandemic, but are facing opposition from the caretaker government and the party with the largest parliamentary group – ‘There is such a people (ITN)’.

State health inspector Angel Kunchev on Monday proposed the government introduce a mandatory green pass for the staff of all shopping centres, restaurants, and other establishments with indoor premises.

However, the restaurant and hotel industry has threatened to protest if such restrictions are introduced. At the end of last week, ITN issued a declaration against compulsory vaccination and the introduction of restrictions on the unvaccinated.

However, the government is not looking for roundabout ways to introduce compulsory vaccination and so far does not allow the restriction of businesses due to unvaccinated staff, caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev has announced.

“If a person does not want to be vaccinated, they will not do it. The government is trying to make the measures infinitely gentle for business. It must work, life must go on normally enough. Of course, we are responsible enough, every one of us, if needed we will take individual measures,” Yanev said.

However, health inspector Kunchev is proposing to temporarily ban all mass gatherings.

In the last week, Bulgaria ranked as the EU country with the highest COVID-19 mortality rate per 100,000 people, Worldometer data has shown. This development of the pandemic in the country was expected due to the small number of fully vaccinated citizens, which currently account for 19% of the population.