Youngest Covid-19 patient in Bulgaria, 1-year-old boy, cured and discharged from hospital

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Bulgaria has reached 713, the National Crisis Staff reported. On April 14, 18 new patients have been registered - 12 are in Sofia, 1 in Plovdiv, 2 in Smolyan and 3 in Kyustendil. 209 patients are now under hospital treatment as 29 are in intensive care units.

14 of all confirmed cases are of people under 10 years of age. Today, the youngest Covid-19 patient in Bulgaria, 1-year-old boy, was discharged from the hospital in Dobrich, fully recovered.

The death toll of Covid-19 in Bulgaria went up to 35. The average age of deceased patients is 64.8 years.

Bulgaria receives assistance from NATO, USA amid Covid-19 crisis

Bulgaria is among the countries which received assistance from NATO in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced. Bulgaria, together with Lithuania, Poland and Romania received health equipment. It was delivered via NATO flights, Jens Stoltenberg said. Hundreds of tons of health equipment were transported by NATO planes across the globe, Jens Stoltenberg pointed out and added that the mid-term and the long-term aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic would be discussed at an extraordinary sitting of the NATO Ministers of Defense.

At the regular press briefing this morning, the head of the National Crisis Staff Gen. Ventsislav Mutafchyiski thanked the US Embassy for donating 6500 PCRs to this country. The test kits have already arrived in Bulgaria.

Government fund gives banks 85-million-euro guarantee to support business

The government fund, set up to manage 600 million euros /BGN 1.2 billion/ under four EU-co-financed operational programs, has announced that it is providing banks with 85 million euros /BGN 170 million/ as guarantee to support small and medium-sized enterprises in a state of economic uncertainty. The guarantees aim at easing financial burden on companies and raising the confidence of the banking system in supporting businesses.

President Radev: Bulgaria needs immediate plan to gradually exit the crisis

Bulgaria needs an immediate plan to gradually exit  the crisis caused by the state of emergency introduced over the coronavirus pandemic, this country’s President Rumen Radev said in the town of Tryavna. We must start thinking how to take the country out of the current state in a safe, manageable and controlled way now, Bulgaria’s head of state said. If the preparation of such a plan does not start immediately, Bulgaria is threatened by a second wave of the crisis, President Radev warned. 

Bulgaria’s demographic crisis will only get worse if the country’s economic recovery is too slow, the President warned.

Chain stores contest government decision to obligate them to sell Bulgarian products

The government ordinance, by force of which chain stores are obligated to sell Bulgarian produce from local producers, runs counter to Bulgarian and European law, engenders corruption and is unworkable.

This is the joint position of 4 international and 3 Bulgarian retail chains in the country. Their position reads that this measure will not boost the supply of Bulgarian commodities, but that the state is redistributing the market by giving an advantage to certain producers to the detriment of others. The retail chains cite as an example Bulgarian milk, which meets only 10% of the market demand and many producers will palm off foreign raw material as Bulgarian.

Sanctions to be imposed on retail chains not selling Bulgarian food products

The Bulgarian Parliament has imposed sanctions on retail chains if they refuse to sell Bulgarian food. Amendments to the State of Emergency Act give the government the right to introduce temporary measures to protect Bulgarian production. Violators are subject to a fine ranging from 7,500 to 25,000 euro. In the case of repeated infringement, the fine is between 15,000 and 25,000 euros.

The measures apply to retail chains with 10 or more stores across the country.

Bulgaria’s Tourism Minister Angelkova warns sector is not working at all

In an interview with the Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova said that the tourism sector was not working at the moment. According to data from the Employment Agency, 23.7% out of over 70,000 newly-registered unemployed citizens come from the hotel and restaurant sectors. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, 203 tour operators and travel agencies were left without work. The so-called measure 60:40, undertaken by the authorities in order to support businesses and preserve employment, has been used by nearly 48.7% of companies in the hotel and restaurant sectors, indicating that the measure does not satisfy everyone in the tourism industry, the Minister added.

Bulgaria calls on EU to freeze some rules on freight transportation

Bulgaria has called on the European Commission that until 31 May truck drivers should be permitted to spend their regular weekly breaks in the driver's cabins if the vehicle allows. Bulgaria also requests the maximum hours for driving during the state of emergency due to Covid-19 be extended. The European Commission is expected to respond positively, as it did in March, the Bulgarian National Radio reports.

These regulations apply only within the territory of the requesting Member State.

400 thousand working Bulgarians can benefit from 60/40 scheme

For the first nine days since the measure has been in force, there have been 2016 applications filed for around 30,000 workers, said Social Minister Denitsa Sacheva. CITUB has informed that "a number of companies, including large ones," have already started filing their 60/40 scheme documentation. It also became clear that during the Easter holidays, the paid holidays which employers have unilaterally imposed on employees in a state of emergency will finish.

EU approves state loans to small and medium-sized enterprises in Bulgaria

The European Commission has approved state aid to the tune of EUR 250 million to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Bulgaria affected by the coronavirus epidemic. The scheme has been submitted for approval in March by the Bulgarian government. The planned financial assistance is for the capital increase of the Bulgarian Development Bank. The Treasury will use it to guarantee investment loans and working capital lending to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, the EU-approved permit says.

Compiled by Diana Tsankova and Radio Bulgaria’s News Team