SOFIA, March 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Bulgarian parliament voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency until April 13 to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Bulgaria had 23 confirmed cases, including one fatality, according to the Health Ministry.
The state of emergency will allow for travel bans to and from countries with large coronavirus outbreaks, the closing of schools and universities, and permit police to intervene when imposed isolation of infected people is not observed.
The month-long measure puts the Black Sea nation in the ranks of other countries in the European Union’s eastern wing, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Latvia, that have declared states of emergency.
The government also plans a revision of the 2020 state budget to allocate more funds to support the healthcare system, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told deputies.
Borissov is seeking the right to use police forces to detain patients who leave quarantine early after 14 people did so.
The government will also ban traveling to and from a list of countries that will be updated regularly. Night clubs will be shut down, but restaurants will remain open.
