As of Thursday, November 12, the Minister of Health introduces the following anti-epidemic measures on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria:

For pupils and students

In-person classes will be suspended (including internships, outsourced classes, exams, dual education system, etc.) for students from fifth to twelfth grade in districts with 14-day morbidity of more than 119.9 people per 100,000 population and if there was 15% absence of students from the in-person classes for reasons related to the appearance of COVID-19 symptoms for the period 4-11.11.2020.

The decision for transition to distance learning in electronic environment is taken by the Minister of Education and Science under the conditions and by the order of art. 105, para. 6 and 115a, para. 1, 4 and 5 of the Preschool and School Education Act.

In-person group extracurricular activities, activities of interest and others are allowed only for schools and classes that conduct in-person attendance training.

The in-person group classes in the centres for support of personal development are suspended, except for those that are organised in a way that does not allow mixing of children from different classes/groups.

The in-person learning process in the higher schools is suspended, with the exception of the practical exercises, which cannot be performed remotely in an electronic environment.

Exceptions are allowed for practical exercises in clinical disciplines, teaching practice (clinical internship), undergraduate internship and state exams of students in regulated medical professions in the professional fields of "Medicine", "Dental Medicine" and "Health Care", as well as state exams for acquiring a specialty in the healthcare system, in strict compliance with the measures for prevention and control of infections according to Ordinance № 3 of 2013 on the approval of a medical standard for prevention and control of nosocomial infections.

For restaurants, shops and shopping malls

All catering and entertainment establishments (restaurants, fast food establishments, drinking establishments, cafes and bars, with the exception of those under item 9) may operate only between 6.00 and 23.30 hours. For the rest of the time, only home deliveries are allowed.

Grocery shops and pharmacies will allow only persons aged 65 and over between he hours of 8.00 and 10.00 a.m. No persons under the age of 65 are allowed during those specified hours.

Minors may visit shopping centres and malls, only if they are accompanied by their parent, guardian or other adult.

For hospitals

Planned admission and planned surgical operations in the medical establishments for hospital medical care and cancer treatment centres are suspended, with the exception of the activities related to transplantation of organs, tissues and cells, diagnostics and treatment of patients with oncological and oncohematological diseases, assisted reproduction and births, regardless of the method of delivery, rehabilitation activities, long-term treatment and psychiatric care.

Pursuant to item 3 of Order № RD-01-439 of 27.07.2020, the directors of the regional health inspectorates take actions and apply measures to the medical establishments for hospital care and the cancer treatment centres on the territory of the respective district, determining a mandatory number of beds for treatment of patients with primary or concomitant infection with SARS-CoV-2 of no less than 20% of the number of beds announced in the respective regional health inspectorate for each hospital and cancer treament centre./BNT