The latest updates and guides to the current coronavirus situation as of 25 July 2022.
Written by Bozhidar Ivanov and Anastasiia Dehtiarova, edited by Scott Green and Lindsay Martin, photo by Unsplash
What is the current situation?
In Sofia from 4 August wearing a face mask will be mandatory in shops and other commercial establishments, railway and bus stations, Sofia Airport, health care facilities and public transport. The new measures will be in place from 4 to 19 August.
Children under 6 years, staff and customers in catering, entertainment establishments and casinos will be exempt.
What to do if you suspect you have coronavirus?
It’s a good idea to talk to a specialist if you have symptoms such as high fever, cough, joint or muscle pain, sore throat, or difficulty breathing. The first thing to do is to contact your GP via phone. Stay at home and do not visit any hospitals or medical clinics. This is very important to prevent other people from possible infection.
If you do not have a GP, then you can proceed in the following ways:
1. First, find out your regional health inspectorate and call them. If you cannot find it online (search ‘RZI Sofia’ in Google), take step 2 and call the Ministry of Health to inquire.
2. Call 112 (the national emergency center) to seek help or get information about the latest restrictions enforced by the Bulgarian Ministry of Health.
3. Call the 24 hours COVID-19 hotline at +35928078757 to reach an expert epidemiologist and discuss your case, symptoms, what to do, etc.
Your GP or doctor in charge may issue you a sick leave for the period of your treatment according to the specific circumstances. If you put yourself in voluntary quarantine due to a visit to a risky destination, such as Italy or China, your GP or Regional Health Inspection Office is entitled to issue your sick leave. You can read more in our article on this topic.
Vaccination Centers in Bulgaria
A full list of immunization facilities in Bulgaria can be found here and you can find the ones in Sofia below:
Travel news
Are you travelling to or within Europe? Check Re-open Europe for the latest updates about the regulations. For the most current Bulgaria travel news, you can visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a dedicated coronavirus portal (in Bulgarian).
Where to order food online?
Here are some suggestions for food delivery websites:
TakeAway
Foodpanda
Happy
You can also order groceries online.
Useful resources in English:
World Health Organisation
Bulgarian Ministry of Health
National Centre for Infections
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Single Information Portal
