SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Health authorities stepped up anti-infection measures in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, and other major cities in response to a surge in new coronavirus cases driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.
Schools are limiting in-person classes, requiring students in all grades except first through fourth to switch to distance learning.
The precautions also ban mass events and require restaurants and bars to operate at half of their customer capacity. All catering and entertainment establishments have to close no later than 10 p.m., and visitors need valid health certificates to be admitted.
Bulgaria, which has the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the European Union and a population of 6.5 million, reported on Friday 8,932 new virus cases and 87 deaths.
The country’s test positivity rate for the virus increased to about 24%.
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